Gods in Goode High School
by TheQueenofBooks1000
Summary: Zeus turned everybody into teenagers to teach them a lesson. What will happen when they go to Goode with Percy and the other demigods? Read and find out!
1. When Zeus Gets Nuts

Chapter One:

On the six-hundredth floor of the Empire State Building, otherwise known as Mount Olympus, the Olympians were arguing and yelling, it sounded like a mini-war. In fact, if the Mist didn't exist, the mortals probably would've heard it.

To begin with, Hera was screaming her head off at Zeus. Why? Because Hera found a picture of a beautiful blonde in his wallet, and needless to say, that infuriated her like Hades.

Speaking of Hades, he happened to be in Mount Olympus that day, much to the annoyance of Demeter. In fact, Demeter was telling Hades to take care of her daughter, and if anything bad happened to her, she herself will…well, you get the point. Hades was pretty much ignoring her, watching Zeus and Hera amusedly. He loved it whenever Zeus and Hera were fighting, because Hera was the only one who can make Zeus cower in fear, and _that's _what Hades loved seeing.

"Unbelievable, Zeus!" Hera exclaimed, her face turning crimson red. "I wish that prophecy comes back! You cheated on me a lot less! If I get my hands on that mortal, you ignorant womanizer, I will—"

"My dear, please try to understand," Zeus pleaded, barely aware of the smirk he was receiving from Hades. "I've been married to you for nearly five thousand years!"

Poseidon and Athena were debating about Percy and Annabeth.

"You need to do something about your child, Poseidon," Athena insisted, eyeing her rival coldly. "I do not appreciate him spending time with my far more superior daughter."

Poseidon snorted. "Are you kidding me?" he retorted. "Athena, if anything, my son is far more superior than _your_ daughter! My son happened to have saved Olympus, or did you fall in Lethe and forgot about that?"

"Your son saved Olympus with the guidance of my daughter!" Athena yelled, finally losing control. "Do you really think your son could come up with a plan as elaborate as that?"

Poseidon turned red and splashed her face with seawater.

A few feet away from them, Artemis was giving Aphrodite a look of cold fury, which didn't seem to faze her much; she was just reapplying her eye shadow.

"Aphrodite," Artemis said through clenched teeth, "If I lose another one of my girls to one of your silly love games, I swear I will really break your face." She shook her head in despair. "I just sent my lieutenant Thalia to a public school, which unfortunately happens to be coed, so she can gather more girls for the Hunters. If she quits the Hunters…" she trailed off, so that it will sound more threatening. Aphrodite merely smirked.

"Artie, you need to relax," Aphrodite insisted. "Thalia's a big girl now, practically a woman, and—"

"She'll never be a woman, idiot," Artemis snapped. "She'll be a maiden forever. And don't you dare call me Artie!"

Meanwhile, Hephaestus was simply tinkering with some tools. He was surrounded by Apollo, Hermes, Ares, and Hestia.

"Jeez, this is boring," Apollo grumbled. "Everyone's fighting, and we're all just sitting here." He nudged Ares. "Why aren't you fighting along with them, anyway? Aren't you the god of war?"

Ares shook his head. "Not this kind of war," he said in a bored voice.

Hestia regarded them silently, but she was happy that at least _some_ people happened to maintain peace.

"Hey, you wanna have a wrestling match?" Hephaestus suddenly suggested. Hestia sighed as the men eagerly nodded. Maybe not.

Zeus stood in the middle of the room. He stared at his wife's red yelling face, Aphrodite and Artemis arguing, Poseidon splashing Athena with seawater, Demeter screeching at Hades, who was still smirking at him and Hera, and his four sons wrestling like pathetic eight-year-olds being supervised by a babysitter (Hestia).

"Enough of this!" he thundered. Literally thundered. The bright weather changed outside.

Olympus was quiet. Hera was still fuming, but at least she was doing it silently. Zeus cleared his throat. "You are all behaving like children," he said, looking at Hephaestus, Ares, Hermes, and Apollo pointedly. Ares quickly let go of his headlock on Apollo and dropped Hephaestus's arm. Hermes slithered out of Apollo's grasp on his leg.

Suddenly, a small smile formed in Zeus's mouth. "Perhaps you'd want to know what it feels like to be children," he said softly, studying the Olympians one by one.

"Uh-oh," Athena said nervously. She knew the look on her father's face all too well. It means that he had a 'great' idea.

"Uh-oh is right, dear daughter," Zeus said. His electric blue eyes gleamed and he raised his arms, holding the master bolt.

Immediately, everybody screamed. They all felt a hot, searing pain in their immortal bodies. Even Zeus wasn't spared. He cowered behind his throne. Then everyone passed out.

After a few hours, Athena's eyes sprang open. "_Di immortales_," she grumbled, rubbing her painful head. Then she noticed everybody lying on the floor, totally unconscious.

They were all dressed in normal mortal clothes. But when Athena examined them closely, her eyes widened. "No…no…"

She frantically ran to a mirror. And screamed.

She was a teenager!

Athena touched her reflection, her hands trembling. She was wearing a light blue turtleneck and plain khaki pants. Her long blond hair was in a ponytail. Her face was very young-looking.

Suddenly, Poseidon groaned and stood up. "Athena, what's—" He saw himself in the mirror and screamed, too, although his voice was less high-pitched. He almost looked like his son, Percy. His dark hair was tousled, like he just rolled out of bed. He was wearing a ratty green shirt and baggy jeans. He looked like he was the same age as Athena, maybe sixteen or seventeen.

Slowly everybody woke up.

"Zeus, what have you done?" Hades roared. His dark hair was longish, and he was wearing a black hoodie with black jeans. That made his skin even paler.

Aphrodite and Artemis stood up in unison. Aphrodite looked like a teen supermodel. She was wearing a pink cashmere sweater and a black miniskirt, topped with some jewelry and light makeup. Her hair was one color, but then it seemed impossible to determine what color it was. Maybe it was blond, or auburn, or whatever, but her eyes still looked like a kaleidoscope. She squealed and hugged herself.

Artemis was wearing a silver tank top and paint-splattered jeans. Her long auburn hair was set in a regular French braid, but she looked a bit too old for her liking. Usually she'd look like a twelve-year-old, but now she looked sixteen, too.

Demeter was wearing a spring-green sundress, which went along with the white flats. Her hair was in pigtails.

Ares was wearing a red muscle shirt and khaki shorts. His hair was in a buzz cut, and he looked like a high school football player.

Hephaestus had on a black leather jacket and holey blue jeans. His hair was messy, and he still looked big and strong.

Hera was wearing a cornflower blue minidress and heels. Her hair was pinned up. Behind her, Hermes stood there, wearing a plaid shirt and Converse sneakers. And finally, Hestia came, wearing a brown jacket and brown flats. Apollo still looked the same, and he had on a baggy "All-Time Low" shirt and jeans. And his hair was almost brown anyway, because it looked too greasy and stuff.

Silence. Hera put her hands on her hips and yelled, "Zeus! Get your fat butt here!" She really did sound like a teenager.

Zeus groaned from behind his throne. He was wearing a dark blue button-up and jeans. He opened his electric blue eyes and smiled at the army of angry high-school kids.

"Ha!" he gloated, feeling proud of himself. "Now, you're all teenagers! I hope this will teach you a lesson!"

"Guess again, genius," Hera snapped, pointing at the mirror.

Zeus checked his reflection. "Oh, nooo," he moaned. "I accidentally turned myself into a teenager!"

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><p><strong>Yo! This is my first story, so try to go easy on the reviews. Suggestions will be appreciated. :) I'll update soon.<strong>


	2. The Olympians Ride A Subway

**Hey, guys! Thanks for the reviews!**

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><p>Chapter Two:<p>

"This is just brilliant, Zeus," Hades growled.

It was a Monday morning, and they were all in the messy, stinky subway. Despite the panic attacks, Zeus still went on with the plan. He enrolled everyone in Goode high school, in New York, mostly because that's where all the demigods are staying, and it's closer to home.

Zeus glared at his brother. "It serves a purpose," he said. "After this experience, I expect us to be a nice, non-arguing family."

"Totally!" Aphrodite said from the back seat. "I mean, like, who are we, the Kardashians?" **(A/N Hey, Kardashian family fans! No offense, okay? :D)**

"Who's that?" Hephaestus asked from his seat next to Poseidon.

Aphrodite rolled her eyes at her husband. "Try getting out of your forges more and watch TV," she advised.

"This day is gonna suck," Hermes whined.

"Oh, before I forget," Athena declared, "we need new names. I mean, we can't go around with names of Greek mythology gods."

"My name will be…" Aphrodite thought hard. "Angelina!"

"Then I'll be Brad," Apollo said quickly. Ares scowled, but he stayed quiet.

"I think I'll take the name Luna," Artemis said cheekily. She was glad that they were going to Goode. Her lieutenant was there. "It means 'moon', and since I'm the moon goddess, I think that's appropriate."

"I'll be Johanna," Athena said. She was thinking about Joan of Arc.

"Fine," Hades muttered. "I'll be…" He paused.

"Try something inconspicuous, like Adam," Athena suggested. Hades shrugged. "All right."

"I'll go for the name Cole," Poseidon said. Everyone stared at him. "Why?"

Poseidon shrugged. "Dunno. It sounds good." Athena rolled her eyes.

"I," Zeus said, "will be Victor." It sounded like a powerful name, so no one argued.

Hera sighed impatiently. "I don't really care. Lucille or something."

"Hermes," Hermes mused. "It kind of sounds like the name Jeremy, don't you think?"

No one thought so, but Hermes decided to stay with the name Jeremy.

Hestia was silent, but then she spoke, shyly, "I had always liked the name Sophia." Everyone nodded approvingly. It was a quiet but pretty sort of name, like her.

Ares picked on his nails with a Swiss Army knife. "Uh, I don't know." He yawned. "Gary, maybe. It sounds athletic. Plus, it kind of sounds like the name Ares."

No one thought so, either, but they let it go.

"Charlie," Hephaestus said without hesitation. That was the name of his dead son. The ones who understood what he meant smiled at him sadly.

Demeter was last. She gave the matter some thought before saying, "Violet."

Poseidon's eyes lit up. "Hey, it's Percy!"

The son of Poseidon walked in the subway. His eyes were bloodshot, like he didn't sleep much, which was weird since it was the first day of school.

He sat near the gods, but he didn't really notice them. He just nodded along to his iPod, which he wasn't even supposed to have. Demigods and technology didn't mix.

Then the subway stopped, and Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus, walked in. She had a silver glow amidst her face, which most mortals probably wouldn't notice because of the Mist. She spotted Percy and grinned. Artemis frowned.

Thalia yanked off his earbuds and screamed, "Yo, Jackson!"

Percy yowled in surprise and fell off his seat. No one really cared because the subway was noisy.

"Thanks for the seat, cousin dear," Thalia said with a smirk and sat on Percy's seat.

"Thalia!" Percy gasped, trying to stand. The subway lurched forward and he ended up falling on some random teenage girl's lap.

"Hey, watch it," the girl snarled, shoving his head away. The gods snickered, and Poseidon just laughed along good-naturedly.

"Smooth, Percy, smooth," Thalia laughed. Percy's face was tomato red.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" he asked as he shoved Thalia out of the way and sat next to her.

"I'm going to your school. You're in Goode, right?" Percy nodded.

"Lady Artemis sent me here to gather more Hunters," she explained. Then her gaze dropped to the floor. "We lost a lot in the Titan War."

"I'm sorry," Percy said sympathetically. Thalia shrugged. "So, how's Annabeth?"

Percy's face turned a deeper red. "H-how should I know?" he stuttered.

"Ooh, defensive now, aren't we," Thalia chuckled. "C'mon, aren't you two together or something?"

Athena glared at Poseidon and Poseidon glared back, while the gods sniggered even more.

Percy rolled his eyes. "How the heck did you hear about that?"

"I have my ways," Thalia said slyly. "Anyway, is Annabeth going to Goode, too?"

Before he can answer, a dark-haired, brown-eyed boy suddenly materialized next to them, making Thalia shriek this time.

No one seemed to notice his weird appearance. Maybe it was the Mist again.

"Hey, Nico," Percy said in surprise, while staring in satisfaction at Thalia's horror-stricken face.

"Hey, Perce," Nico di Angelo, the son of Hades said, looking bright-eyed.

"Uh, what are you doing here?" Thalia asked. "And where the heck did you come from?"

"Shadow-travel," Nico explained. "I'm actually getting better at it. Oh, and Dad told me that maybe it was time for me to go to school. I think that's partly because of Demeter. She keeps on nagging him about how pale I'm getting from spending too much time in the Underworld."

Demeter glared at Nico, then Hades.

Suddenly, Percy stiffened. "Hey, the Big Three kids together? Is Kronos planning something?"

"Chill, Percy," Thalia chided. "There aren't any golden deer or hellhounds."

"And I shadow-traveled myself here," Nico added.

Meanwhile, the Olympians were getting pretty worried. More monsters might hunt them. After all, their scent is powerful.

"So, are you a freshman, Nico?" Percy asked. Nico nodded.

"I'm a junior," Thalia said. Percy's eyebrows raised. "Really? So am I."

"Oh, great," Thalia mocked a groan. "I'll be seeing _you_ today. And anyway, aren't you supposed to be a senior?"

Percy chuckled. "Thals, you're like five years older than me."

"Well, I don't look like it, huh, cuz?" Thalia smirked. Then she turned to Nico. "I guess you're my cousin, too. Neat, hanging out with my cousins."

Nico laughed.

Then the teenagers began to go out of the subway, and the Olympians knew that they were at Goode High.

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><p><strong>Okay, so some suggestions, please! Do you think Annabeth should suddenly appear in Goode or not?<strong>

**Please review! :)**


	3. How the Day of the Demigods Went

**Hello, everybody! Sorry I kept you hanging! We had to go somewhere for the weekend, and the place didn't have Wi-Fi. Or computers, for that matter. So here's the update. Oh, and once again, thanks for the reviews.**

**And, apparently, I forgot to add a disclaimer. My bad!**

**DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT RICK RIORDAN AND I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON.**

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><p>Chapter Three:<p>

"Okay, so we need our schedules," Athena instructed as they walked to the school.

Hera wrinkled her nose at the high school students. They were all just slacking around. Some boys tossed footballs at a tree. Most of the girls exchanged gossip and lip gloss samples. A few bullies were sticking pieces of paper to some poor kid's afro. It was the kind of place where she'd want to do her best 'mommy' time-outs and tell the kids off for bad behavior.

They stopped by the principal's office to get their schedules. Percy, Thalia, and Nico were there.

"So, what's your first class, Kelp Head?" Thalia asked as Percy looked at his schedule.

"English," he said. Then he frowned. "Oh, man. Don't they have like special programs for dyslexic kids?"

"You've been in this school for three years," Thalia pointed out. "Why don't you ask?"

Percy thought it over. "_Touché_. I'll ask later."

"How about you, Death Breath?" Thalia said, turning to Nico.

"Stop it with the nicknames already," Nico grumbled. He glanced at his sheet. "History." He immediately perked up. "Awesome!"

"You like history?" Percy asked in surprise. Nico nodded. "I've talked to a lot of war leaders and soldiers," he explained. "I hang out with all kinds of dead people. I even hung out with William Shakespeare's ghost once in Elysium. Though how Shakespeare ended up in Elysium is the real mystery…"

"The boy is right," Demeter muttered to Hades. "What exactly did Shakespeare do to achieve Elysium?"

"He contributed a lot to the world of theater and plays," Hades whispered back.

Thalia picked up her schedule. "Oh, _come on_!" she exclaimed, glaring at her schedule. "Seriously. Who puts up with math first thing in the morning?"

"You do," Nico playfully answered.

Thalia scowled. "Can it, Corpse Face." She shook her head, still looking annoyed. "Ah, the things I do for the Hunters…" she trailed off. "Well, I guess it's worth it."

Artemis beamed.

"So, do you want me to introduce you to my friends?" Percy offered.

Thalia snorted. "No thanks, bro. Knowing you, you probably don't have any _female _friends."

"Yes, I do," Percy snapped back.

Thalia smiled gamely. "Okay, then. Just introduce me to the girls," she said. "I need to get started on my recruiting business. I don't want to have math for the whole year, after all."

The Olympians also scanned their schedules.

"Oh, wonderful," Athena said, grinning. "First-period chemistry. I can't wait!"

"I have chemistry, too," Poseidon said.

Athena smirked. "So I'll be there to watch you fail miserably?"

"I've been around for quite some time, you know," Poseidon shot back. "I happen to understand this chemistry that we both have."

"Oh, my gods! You have chemistry!" Aphrodite squealed. Athena started blushing furiously.

Poseidon looked confused. "Yes, I am aware of that. Why are you acting all giddy about it?"

"You are very dense," Athena snapped, but she was relieved that he didn't get it or it would've been more embarrassing.

"Robotics," Hephaestus read. He brightened. "I happen to be very skilled at that!"

"How on earth is robotics a subject?" Demeter said, rolling her eyes. "Honestly, mortals are so strange!"

The Big Three kids left. The gods hurried after them.

Right at that moment, the bell rang.

Athena, being the perfect student, ran to her class, with Poseidon at her heels. The others followed.

"Okay, guys, see ya," Percy said. Then he rushed off.

"Some tour guide he is," Nico said, shaking his head.

Thalia chuckled. "Bye, Nico." Then she zipped through the halls with her Hunter speed.

A teacher came in and frowned at Nico. "Young man," he said sternly. "I give you ten seconds to go to your class before I give you detention." He smiled, as if he was enjoying this. "Ten…nine…"

_Oh, crud. Gotta run, _Nico thought frantically, _but where in Hades is my classroom?_

"…four…"

Nico had no choice. He shadow-traveled away.

The teacher blinked once. Then he walked to class, shaking his head. "The youth of today, so quick with their feet," he muttered.

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><p>Thalia was a blur in the halls. Of course, she crashed into someone.<p>

"Oops, sorry," Thalia apologized, quickly getting to her feet.

The guy looked up, and Thalia almost peed on her pants. He looked exactly like...

"Luke?" she whispered. She knew that was impossible. Her best friend Luke died in the Titan War. And even if he chose to be reborn, he'd still be a baby right now.

The guy looked at her strangely. "No," he said. Thalia's breath got caught in her throat. Okay, granted, it was weird, but not too freaky. A demigod's life is always full of moments like these.

"I'm Neil," said the dude.

For some reason, Thalia felt butterflies in her stomach. She felt sick. Clutching her forehead, she sped away.

When she reached her classroom, a guy smiled and walked over to her.

"Hi," the guy said. "My name is–"

"Get away from me," Thalia growled. She _so _did not want to see any boys right now. She stalked off to a farther seat.

The guy, who turned out to be Zeus, stared after his daughter in bewilderment. "What the heck did I do?" he asked Aphrodite, who was sitting behind him.

Aphrodite barely glanced up from her nail file. "Blame Arterm–uh, Luna," she said disinterestedly.

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><p>Percy was NOT having a good morning.<p>

To begin with, his English teacher was the same as last year's–Mrs. White.

Mrs. White was a maneating, bad-grading lady. Percy knew that all hope of passing English was lost.

The other thing was Mimi Windsor. Mimi had a mad crush on him since freshman year, way before he and Annabeth started going out. Probably around the time Rachel was still there. Percy supposed that he should find it flattering, but then Mimi always goes so low. Like the time she ambushed his locker with a million love notes. It took him a long time to clean that out.

Then Mimi transferred for sophomore year, which Percy found a relief. Now she's back.

When he saw the two menacing W's–White and Windsor–he knew that this will probably be the worst English class ever.

Mimi's eyes lit up when Percy sat down on the only seat left, which was next to her. "Hey, Percy," she said, trying to look cute.

Percy muttered a 'hi' and started praying desperately to Poseidon to get him out of this mess.

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><p><strong>So, what do you think? :) Once again, REVIEW!<strong>


	4. How the Day of the Gods Went

**Hi, people! Okay, I know everyone wants Annabeth in the story. No worries. She'll appear on the next chapter. Why else do you think I even put an OC in Percy's part? **

**Thanks for the reviews—they are much appreciated. :P**

**DISCLAIMER: I'M NOT RICK RIORDAN, UNFORTUNATELY, AND I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON.**

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><p>Chapter Four:<p>

Poseidon heard Percy call him in his mind. Weird, but at least he knew that he wasn't in danger. After all, it mainly involved the words 'girl' and 'gonna kill me'.

Poseidon sat a bit farther away from Athena. They needed partners, and though he didn't really know anyone, he didn't want to pair up with Athena. He didn't want explosions (literally and figuratively) if he had to work with her.

Unfortunately, everyone was paired up. Their teacher, Mrs. Maxwell, looked up from her chemistry book. "Cole Seaman, you'll work with Johanna Einstein."

_Seriously, she picked Einstein to be her last name? _Poseidon thought, stifling a laugh as he sauntered over to her.

Athena looked at him in distaste. "You again," she sighed. She glanced at her worksheet. "So, pour nitro starch to solve if x squared will be equal to y," she read.

Poseidon looked at the chemicals in front of them and grabbed some green, liquid thing. He poured it to the Petri dish.

"No! That's not nitro starch!" Athena screamed, but it was too late. The chemical exploded over them.

She looked pretty funny covered in greenish-white powder. Except she looked ready to skewer him.

"I'm going to kill you," she said through gritted teeth.

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><p>Artemis was glad that phys ed was her third period. After going through two classes filled with boys, she needed a break.<p>

The gym was clean and wide. She loved athletic stuff. And most importantly, it wasn't coed. There were only girls there.

"Luna Silver!" the gym teacher barked. "Here in front!"

She looked at the girl next to her and smiled. "Hi," she said brightly. "My name is Luna Silver."

The girl rolled her eyes. "The teacher just yelled it. Do you think I'm deaf or something?"

Then she ran off to her friends, and they started fretting with their hair.

Artemis was boiling mad. Those girls were completely idiotic. Definitely not Hunter material.

Then her temper rose when the girls looked at her and giggled.

She looked at her watch. Wow, for the first time ever, she actually thought that even some boys were better than that set of girls.

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><p>Hestia and Hephaestus had the same third period: Art.<p>

Their project for today was copying still life, which basically meant painting a bunch of artificial flowers and fruits.

Hephaestus was complaining to Hestia.

"I think this was a terrible mistake," Hephaestus declared as he started on his orchid. It looked more like a spider covered in grape jelly. He scowled and set his paintbrush down.

"As long as it unites our family, I am happy," Hestia said contentedly as she brushed some strokes on her canvas.

"Honestly, Sophia," Hephaestus said. "Since when was our family ever united? We're probably the most dysfunctional family ever. I got thrown off the mountain when I was born. Nobody gives you any attention. Pretty much everyone—except you—has a big head. Oh, and you were all eaten by Grandpa to begin with."

Hestia's translucent orange eyes flashed with amusement, like she found it funny that Hephaestus calls Kronos his grandpa. "Perhaps," she said, "but I don't understand why you think it isn't worth trying, Charlie. We've been a family for several millennia, and as I always say, nothing is impossible if we made it this far without killing each other—much."

Hephaestus smiled a tiny bit. He must say, his aunt was pretty cool. "Yeah," he said. "Maybe you're right."

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><p>Hades had to sit with Demeter at the fourth period, his least favorite goddess.<p>

The lord of the dead felt deathly bored. He considered this as one of the dullest mornings ever—thanks to Zeus. English class? Yeah right. All they did was discuss this big Russian English-translated book. Honestly, that cursed brother of his…

Demeter was eyeing the boy at the first row. Oh, no, it was nothing romantic. She was just thinking that he was very sickly…probably lacks protein. And fiber. Frosted whole-wheat cereal would perfectly fix the kid up. Maybe even the kind with raisins. Maybe she can make him some. She tilted her head, considering it. Actually, maybe she can make that skinny girl in front some cereal, too. Or maybe she can distribute cereal bars to everybody. Hmm, it's workable…

"Violet Planter, can you please tell us what the princess means in the story? What is her significance as a Russian leader?"

Oh, great. Demeter tried to make a wild guess. "Agriculture," she said, her brain still focused on cereal.

That just earned her a detention slip and laughter from Hades.

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><p>It was Apollo and Hermes's study hall period.<p>

_Why _it was called study hall was what got them confused. There wasn't any teacher. No one was studying, except for some brainiac kids in the back.

A few minutes ago, Hermes and Apollo were tossing paper planes out of complete boredom.

Now only Hermes was doing it; Apollo started flirting with girls…and got rejected all the time.

"Baby, your lips look a bit lonely. Would they like to meet mine?" Apollo cooed to a pretty redhead. Hermes shook his head when Apollo got slapped on the face.

Apollo finally gave up and started tossing planes again. "How come the pick-up lines don't work anymore?" Apollo asked. "They always work at the bar."

Hermes chuckled. "In case you haven't noticed, man, we aren't at a bar."

Apollo frowned. "Still. Those lines usually work on the girls. Especially when they see my looks." He tossed his greasy blond locks.

Hermes shook his head. "Maybe you should try it with a…well, tamer approach," he advised. "After all, the ladies here are younger than the ones you usually date." _And more sober,_ he added silently.

Apollo frowned and nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe you're right." Before Hermes could stop him, Apollo stood up and said to the same redhead, "Sweetheart, you're hair looks exactly like Barbie's—all smooth and silky. Like a plastic mini-supermodel."

Hermes winced as Apollo got slapped again—harder this time.

Apollo walked over to him, a perfectly red hand mark on his face. "That," he said, "did not go well."

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><p>"Hey," a boy said to Aphrodite. This was the fifth so far, as Aphrodite counted. That kind of annoyed her. Aren't goddesses of beauty supposed to be swarmed by men? Why only five?<p>

Still, Aphrodite did a casual hair flick and lowered her head, so that she was gazing at him from under long, thick lashes.

The guy seemed to melt, and that made her feel a bit better about her low boy count.

"I, uh, didn't really catch your name," the guy managed.

"Angelina," she said sweetly. "It's nice to meet you."

"Uh, yeah," the guy said, letting out a goofy smile.

At that moment, Ares walked in. It was also his fourth period class.

"Hey, babe," Ares said, slipping an arm around her. Then he narrowed his eyes at the boy. "Who's this?"

The guy's expression turned angry. "It's Marcus," he spat out. Then he turned to Aphrodite. "Your boyfriend? So not worth it."

Then the boy went back to his seat.

Ares stood up, almost knocking his desk down. "Why, that little—"

"Gary," Aphrodite said soothingly. "Calm down. He's a nobody."

Ares looked at her and softened. "Okay," he amended. "For you. But next time he walks in, I'll rearrange his face."

Aphrodite smiled and pecked him on the cheek. "Thanks."

And with that, the bald teacher walked in. "Sorry I'm late, class," he huffed, and carried on with the lesson.

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><p>Hera walked in the classroom. <em>Where on earth is Zeus?<em> She thought angrily. That good-for-nothing husband of hers really deserves that time-out.

With a sigh, she sat on an empty desk. Since the teacher was busy rummaging for something in his desk, Hera decided to finish her needlepoint. She glanced at her creation and smiled. It was turning out perfectly. She was proud of Athena for creating the loom.

The class was also pretty noisy. The loom distracted her from yelling at the boys who were shouting at each other.

Suddenly, a shrill laugh made Hera look up. The laugh came from an attractive brunette…talking to Zeus. She gritted her teeth together, set her needlepoint down, and stood up.

"Honey, sit next to me," she said loudly, grabbing Zeus's arm and glaring at the brunette. The brunette arched an eyebrow and walked away.

"Yolanda, wait!" Zeus cried.

"Womanizer," Hera muttered in Zeus's ear angrily. Then she walked away.

"Her—I mean, Lucy, wait!"

"It's Lucille, you ignoramus!"

"Class, no talking or you'll all get detention!" the teacher called, getting up from under his desk. His hair was covered with dust.

"Sorry!"

"I_ said_, no talking!"

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><p><strong>Please REVIEW!<strong>


	5. An Unexpected Guest

**Hello, guys. Thanks for the reviews!**

**DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT RICK RIORDAN, AND I DON'T OWN THE PERCY ****JACKSON**** SERIES. (BOO-HOO.)**

**Oh, and about Poseidon's last name—whoops. Sorry, didn't see that coming. :) (This is for you, Me And My Luck.)**

**And, as I promised, Annabeth is in this chapter, but she won't be shown till the end.**

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><p>Chapter Five:<p>

Thalia walked to the cafeteria. Usually she'd steer clear of boys, but today especially. She shook her head, still feeling annoyed at what happened earlier in the day. A guy who looked exactly like Luke, named Neil. Wow. Next to Percy, she'd probably win the second place of Worst Demigod Luck.

She sat down near the corner and started chewing her pizza. She frowned at the cafeteria doors. Where were her cousins? Sheesh, boys. Rotten, smelly boys. Rotten, smelly, repulsive, vile—

"Hi," a Zeus said, approaching his daughter carefully, jerking her out of her boy-loathing time.

"Oh, it's you," Thalia sighed. "Sorry about what happened this morning. I guess I was just in a bad mood." Because of smelly, rotten—

"It's okay," Zeus assured her. "I'm Victor, by the way."

Thalia studied the new guy. He looks almost exactly like her dad. Weird. How come there are a lot of lookalikes today?

"Thalia," Thalia said with a smile.

Just then, a very annoying voice said, "Victor, honey—" then stopped. "Oh, it's you," the owner of the voice said, sounding relieved. It was Hera.

"Hi," Thalia said. "I'm Thalia."

Hera looked at her somewhat coldly, but then her face warmed, after a pause. "I'm Lucille."

"She's my girlfriend," Zeus said obediently, when Hera gave him a nudge. They made peace from what happened earlier that day with the brunette, but then Hera decided to be a little bit more possessive.

Artemis walked over to their table, but then a boy approached her.

"Hi, you're Luna, right?" he said. He had an arrogant air around him. He smirked at his friends from his table.

Artemis felt like punching the guy, but then she realized that it was a bit unfair, since he didn't really do anything. So instead, she used her usual way of regarding boys. "Yes," she said _very_ icily.

The boy's smile wavered. "I'm looking for a date, you know, for the dance?"

"Sorry, can't," she said immediately.

A look of outraged disbelief passed the guy's face. "You don't know what you're refusing," he said slowly. "A lot of girls would _love _to go out with me."

Artemis was about to object, but then she remembered the girls in her gym class and decided that it wasn't that far-fetched. "Well, not this girl," she said harshly, then hightailed to Thalia's table.

Then a bunch of people appeared at their table. Thalia's head was spinning. Where the heck did they come from? Were they Percy's friends? For some reason, she didn't think so. She had no idea why, though.

Percy walked in the cafeteria with a girl. Athena narrowed her eyes.

Percy looked annoyed, but then he forced a smile at the girl. "Yeah, well, see you later, Mimi."

When the girl left, his smile turned into a grimace. He walked to Thalia's table.

"Who was that?" Athena immediately pounced on him.

Percy looked surprised, but then he explained anyway. "She's a friend, I guess." He cringed. "She won't leave me alone, though. And trust me, I tried explaining that I had a girlfriend, but she thinks I'm making it up."

Athena felt relieved. She didn't really want Poseidon's kid to date Annabeth, but then she didn't want him to break her heart either.

"So, who are you, guys?" Percy asked. The gods were about to introduce themselves yet again when Nico walked over to them, cursing under his breath.

"What's wrong, Nico?" Thalia asked.

Nico scowled. "What's wrong? This." He slammed down a bunch of books on the table dramatically. "I have homework in all the classes, and it's barely half the first day of school! I didn't even have time to drop them off in my locker!"

Percy chuckled. "Welcome to high school, kid," he said. "Wait till you get a load of chemistry."

"You have no idea," Athena said darkly, glaring at Poseidon, who just grinned back at her.

"This is worse than the Fields of Punishment," he moaned.

"Nico!" Thalia hissed, averting her eyes from the Olympians. What if the normal kids heard Nico rambling about their secret lives?

Nico's eyes widened, but then Hades rushed on to save his son. "Oh, I studied a lot of Greek mythology, too," Hades said.

Thalia, Percy, and Nico all breathed sighs of relief.

"So, you like mythology, Adam?" Thalia asked, shooting a knowing glance at her cousins. The gods just smiled at them amusedly.

Then the bell rang. "Okay, see y'all later," Thalia drawled, tossing her paper plate to the trash. Then she turned to Percy. "We have the same period, so shake a leg, Kelp Head."

* * *

><p>Nico was scared that he might turn to the hunchback of Notre Dame before the school year ends. He lugged his heavy backpack with him while gritting his teeth. High school. What a joke. It's so tiring...<p>

He thought about using shadow-travel, but then he was so tired…he might faint on the middle of the process and end up in Bolivia or someplace.

"Hey," a guy's voice said. Nico turned to see Hades, giving him a half-smile. "Need some help, kid?"

Hades looked at his son with pity. He was never actually much of a father to him, in his opinion. He frowned slightly, remembering the time he nearly blasted him in the Underworld. He never really got over his guilt for that.

"Thank you," Nico puffed, handing over his history textbook and algebra workbook. "I'm about to deteriorate," he muttered, rubbing his sore arms.

Hades chuckled, and he walked with his son until they reached the park.

* * *

><p>Percy peered at the halls nervously, waiting for the giggly maniac to appear from some corner. This was starting to freak him out. Why, of all people, was HE her crush? She was too...well, she was a <em>lunatic.<em>

He walked slowly to his neighborhood. A light hand tapped him on the shoulder. He flinched. _She's after me again, _he thought.

"Jeez, what's wrong?" Thalia laughed. "It's just me."

"Oh. Sorry." He let out a giant whoosh of breath.

"So, I need a place to crash tonight," Thalia was saying. She wrinkled her nose. "The Hunters had to take a major detour to Washington DC. Can I stay over?"

Before Percy could answer, Nico jogged towards them, wheezing with the load he had to carry. "Hey, Perce, mind if I stay over for tonight? I don't think I can go to the Underworld. They said that Dad was out, and if I go there, I'd have to be with Persephone."

"Wait." Percy frowned. "It's still September. Isn't she supposed to be with Demeter around this time?"

"Demeter had to go somewhere, too." He shook his head. "There is no way I am staying with that crazy woman. The last thing I need is to become a pansy or a dandelion again."

Percy laughed. "Okay, guys, I guess you could stay for a while."

When they walked in the house, Mrs. Blofis was there. "Percy!" she said. Then she noticed Nico and Thalia. "Hi, kids," she said with a smile. "You want cookies?" She handed them a bunch of blue cookies.

"Thanks, Mom," Percy grinned. "Can Thalia and Nico stay over tonight?"

Mrs. Blofis smiled. "All right. Do you have your things with you?" she asked them.

A small bag suddenly appeared, slung over Thalia's shoulder. "Yes, Aunt Sally," she said.

Nico shrugged. "I guess I could shadow-travel myself to the Underworld long enough to get my stuff."

"By the way, Percy…" Mrs. Blofis's smile widened. "Someone's coming over later."

"Who?" Percy asked, his mouth full of cookies. Milk dribled in the side of his mouth.

"Wipe your mouth, dear," she sighed. She took a napkin and started wiping Percy's face like he was still a baby, which made Thalia and Nico snicker silently.

"She'll stay for three months," Mrs. Blofis continued, pouring them milk. "Her dad's in Vietnam with the family, and they said she could stay here till then."

"Who?" Thalia asked this time.

"That'll be me," a voice behind them said.

They all turned to see a blonde with startling gray eyes and a wide smile carrying a bunch of duffel bags. "Hey, guys. Hi, Mrs. Blofis. You left the front door open, so I hope you don't mind…"

"Of course not, dear," Mrs. Blofis grinned. "I'll just check the laundry." She turned and left.

"Annabeth!" Thalia cried. She gave her a bear hug. "Hi!"

Annabeth laughed and hugged her back. She ruffled Nico's hair like he was a kid.

"Hey," Nico protested.

She opened her arms in front of Percy. "Hey, Seaweed Brain," she said casually.

Percy gave her a hug. "I'm taller than you now," he whispered in her hair.

Annabeth snorted. "You haven't changed a bit, huh?"

Percy laughed and gave her a kiss. Then Annabeth pulled away, surveying everyone. "So, is this like a sleepover, or what?"

"I'll be here until I recruit twenty Hunters," Thalia explained. "Well, obviously, you can't help much in this department, because—" She smirked at Percy "—I guess you're kind of busy."

"I'll stay here until Dad comes back from wherever he went," Nico said.

"Cool." Annabeth grabbed a cookie and started chewing.

Mrs. Blofis walked in. "Paul will be home soon. I'll just get started with dinner," she said.

Thalia grinned. "So, what's for dinner, Aunt Sally?"

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah. Maybe this wasn't my best work, but then I just got bad food poisoning from last night's…uh, anyway, I'll update again. Oh, and what would you guys prefer: romantic Percabeth moments or casual, friendly type of relationship? Please review and let me know.<strong>


	6. The Apartment of the Gods?

**Hi, guys! Okay, I know you're all probably mad at me for not updating for a really long time. Sorry! Seriously, we had to leave again. After all, I _am_ on vacation. :) To make it up to you, I SWEAR ON THE RIVER STYX that I will update LATER TODAY! *thunder rumbles***

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN PERCY JACKSON; RICK RIORDAN DOES. (GRR…)**

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><p>Chapter Six:<p>

The Olympians decided to take the subway again going home.

"Where are the kids?" Zeus asked.

"Nico walked home," Hades replied. "I helped him with his things."

"Any idea where they live?" Hestia asked.

"I decided to let Thalia stay over at Percy Jackson's house," Artemis said, wrinkling her nose. "I suppose it's not a big deal to let her stay with a boy, since he is her cousin."

"Percy lives with Sally Jackson, anyway," Poseidon said, a bit wistfully.

"Blofis," Aphrodite corrected. "She got married to Paul Blofis, remember?"

Poseidon's expression turned sour. "Oh, right."

Hades glanced at his watch. "I need to go home to the Underworld."

"Oh, no," Zeus snapped. "The deal was to stay in the mortal world."

"What?" Hades demanded. "I am a god! You can't stop me!"

"Yes, I can," Zeus shot back. "I already told Persephone to rule the Underworld in the meantime."

"The Underworld is beyond your domain!" Hades practically shouted, earning him some odd looks from the people sitting near them.

"Shh," Hera warned.

"I _am _the king of the gods, after all," Zeus said arrogantly.

"Hold it," Demeter commanded. "You left my poor daughter in the company of those wretched souls?"

Hades was still glaring at Zeus. "Persephone will be fine, Demeter," he said through clenched teeth. "It is my domain that will possibly crumble."

"No, she will certainly NOT be fine!" Demeter cried indignantly. "She will have to spend time with those miserable ghosts and that ghastly fellow with the Italian suit—"

"Charon," Athena supplied, being the walking encyclopedia she is.

"I don't care," Demeter hissed.

"Oh, look, we're here," Zeus interrupted.

"Here, where?" Hermes asked suspiciously. Then his face brightened. "Is it a good place to loot?"

"You'll see, son," Zeus said with a smile.

* * *

><p>"Oh, no," Ares grumbled. "You have <em>got<em> to be kidding me."

"A mortal apartment," Apollo said skeptically. "How will we all fit?"

The building was crumbling, with white, peeling paint and a distinct smell of stale pizza and broccoli.

"Why?" Aphrodite moaned. "Couldn't we have stayed in the Upper East Side of New York? Or at least someplace that doesn't look like an asylum?"

"How would you know what an asylum would look like, Aphrodite?" Artemis asked amusedly.

"Shut up," the goddess of beauty said. "Let's just get this freak show over with."

Zeus led them all to an apartment with two rooms. "Since we are posing as teenagers," he began, "girls in one room, boys in another."

"I'm willing to share a room with Hestia and Athena," Artemis volunteered.

Aphrodite shook her head. "You maiden goddesses, so conservative," she said with a sigh. "I suppose I'll stay with Hera and Demeter."

"Let's prank someone tonight," Hermes whispered to Apollo.

"You're on, bro," Apollo said with a grin.

"Tell Ares and Hephaestus," Hermes ordered. "It might require a lot of people," he added mischievously.

"The four of us will take the largest room," Apollo said.

"Oh, great," Hades said sarcastically. "That means I will have to stay with my dearest, favorite brothers." He glared at Zeus. He was still miffed about the 'taking-over-his- domain' thing.

"Well, we're your only brothers," Poseidon pointed out. Hades rolled his eyes.

"What's for dinner?" Ares interrupted.

* * *

><p>Nico and Percy had to share Percy's room, while Thalia and Annabeth stayed in the guest room.<p>

"So, who's gonna sleep on the floor?" Nico asked. "I mean, no offense, but I am not sharing a bed with you."

"None taken," Percy said, stifling a laugh. "Well, hey, this is my room, so I get to sleep on the bed. Good enough?"

"No fair," Nico protested. "Then I'll have to sleep on the floor until Dad comes back?"

"My room," Percy pointed out again.

"Exactly," Nico snapped. "Treat your guests with a bit of hospitality!"

"Gods, you're annoying," Percy groaned.

The two cousins glared at each other for a moment. "So, how do we settle this?" Nico asked crankily. "I'm still pretty tired from school. I _want_ to sleep."

"Rock, paper, scissors?"

"No way."

"Whoever wins in Mythomagic?" Percy suggested, grinning at Nico.

Nico stuck out his tongue at him. "Nah, too easy to beat you."

"Oh, so you still play it?" Percy teased.

Nico rolled his eyes. "Oh, shut up. Any other ideas?"

Percy took a penny from his pocket. "I think this is the easiest way."

"Heads," Nico said immediately.

"Fine. I'll take tails." Percy flipped the coin. They both watched the coin land…

"Ha!" Nico gloated. He jumped on the bed and flicked the lamp off. "Night, Perce."

Percy pulled out a really old sleeping bag from his closet and sighed. It was the one that he got from the Hermes cabin the first time he stayed as an undetermined in Camp Half-Blood. "Good night, Nico."

* * *

><p>Annabeth walked in the guest room, yawning. She turned to Thalia. "Couch or bed?"<p>

Yes, there was a couch in the guest room.

"Couch, I guess," Thalia said, lazily pulling out her skull earrings from her ears. She placed them on top of her dresser. "Maybe I can sleep on the bed tomorrow."

"Fair enough," Annabeth said. She was wearing pink pajamas with cute, gray baby owls on it. She flopped down on the bed. "So, how do you like high school?"

Thalia shrugged. "S'okay. Had to manipulate the Mist a lot of times, though," she said. "Especially in math. Ugh. I just don't understand any of it."

"Find any cute guys?" Annabeth teased.

Thalia made a face. "No." She paused. "But then there was this weird guy."

"What do you mean?"

"Well." Thalia pursed her lips. "I saw a guy who looked almost exactly like Luke."

Annabeth stiffened. "Cool," she said tightly. "What's his name?"

"I forgot." Thalia wished that she didn't say anything. Luke will always be sore spot for Annabeth.

An awkward silence passed them.

"So, are you done with your homework?" Annabeth said, managing a smile. Her face still looked like a mixture of anger and sadness, though. Now Thalia felt really terrible, like she'd done something bad._ I guess I did_, she thought unhappily.

"Obviously not," Thalia replied. She shrugged. "Not like I need to do it, anyway."

"C'mon," Annabeth insisted. "I'll help you with it."

"Want a snack?" Thalia asked. "Homework makes me hungry."

Annabeth grinned. She looked a lot better. "I have a lot of chips from my flight," she said, reaching for her luggage and producing a bag of Doritos. "Let's get started on your homework."

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><p><strong>Hey. Sorry it was short. So, once again, I will update later, swear on the River Styx. *thunder rumbles again* Suggestions are welcome, and I need all the suggestions. Really. Thanks! PLEASE REVIEW.<strong>


	7. The Second Day

**Hi, people. I promised, right? Here ya go. By the way, thanks for the reviews!**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING AS BRILLIANT AS THE PJO SERIES.**

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><p>The Olympians walked out of the subway, messily dressed and grouchy. Very grouchy.<p>

Artemis glowered at her brother. "I know you put the shaving cream in my slippers last night."

Apollo grinned. "Oh, so that was yours! I can't believe you wear bunny slippers."

"Hey," Zeus said. Out of all the gods, he was the only one who looked happy. Well, except for bubbly Aphrodite, who's always happy, mostly because she believes that being sad causes wrinkles. "Cheer up, guys."

"_Cheer up, guys?" _Hera repeated in disbelief. "Are you seriously turning into a teenager?" Hera was grumpy because Aphrodite kept on waking up every two hours, reapplying some face mask and washing it off. Aphrodite made a lot of noise, making it impossible to sleep.

Zeus ignored her and checked his watch. "I'll be late. See you all later." He raced off.

Hestia shook her head. She was getting tired of the whole ordeal, but she refused to say so. "Oh, that brother of mine," she said with a huge sigh.

Hephaestus, Ares, and pretty much everyone else nodded in agreement. The king of the gods _was_ crazy.

* * *

><p>"Athena!" Poseidon gasped, grabbing Athena's shoulder.<p>

"What?" Athena said crossly, pulling her arm away. "I'm going to be late for class."

"Oh, trust me, you're going to want to hear this," he insisted. Athena sighed and looked at him. "What is it, Poseidon?"

"Your daughter Annabeth is in this school!"

"What?" she shrieked. "With your unwise son?"

"Hey," Poseidon warned. "Do not say anything bad about my son."

It seemed like Athena didn't hear him. For a moment, she looked like she was about to have a heart attack, but then she suddenly smiled.

"What?" Poseidon asked curiously.

"You don't want my daughter spending time with your son, right?" Athena said.

Poseidon frowned. "Go on."

"How about we break them up?" **(A/N Okay, before you kill me, I'd like everybody to know that nothing bad is going to happen. This will just spice things up a bit.)**

Poseidon paused, considering. He didn't really have anything against Annabeth, but then it was Athena that he had issues with. And if Percy accidentally hurt Athena's daughter, he knew that there was going to be trouble. And he didn't want his son to be involved; he already got in enough trouble as it is.

"And I'll have to work with you?" Poseidon asked uncertainly.

Athena took a deep breath, but then she held out her hand. "Temporary truce, old rival?"

Poseidon nodded and shook her hand. "Fine."

* * *

><p>Hades saw his son and decided to attempt some more fatherly-ness.<p>

"Hey, Nico, want to go fishing?" he asked brightly, or at least as brightly as a god of the dead can do. And, okay, maybe asking someone to go fishing is weird, but then he heard that fishing was the best bonding time for fathers and sons.

Nico gave him a strange look. "What? When?"

Hades shrugged. "On Saturday? I just...well, I used to fish a lot with my dad." He cringed at the very idea of fishing with the Titan lord. That was _way_ too bizarre.

Nico thought for a moment, then smiled. "Sure." He pulled his notebook from his locker and frowned. "You know, my old man never took me fishing." He sighed. "I guess he's really busy, but still..."

Hades grimaced and nodded. "Well, see you, then."

* * *

><p>Percy walked with Annabeth to the school.<p>

"Hey, Jackson!" some guy shouted. "Who's the hot girl?"

Annabeth felt a flash of irritation. "I'm standing right here, you know." She hated it when guys objectify her.

Percy squeezed her hand and wrapped an arm around her. "She's my girlfriend," he told the guy sternly.

"I'm sorry, she's your _what_?" a shrill voice said.

Mimi stood there, looking positively venomous.

Okay, that was it. "I'm his girlfriend," Annabeth repeated, looking at her with a steely stare.

Percy sighed and looked at Mimi. "She's the one I told you about yesterday. You know, the own that you thought was _imaginary_," he elaborated.

Mimi shook her head vigorously.

Annabeth was starting to feel annoyed, too, so she pulled Percy and gave him a kiss on the lips. People started applauding like crazy.

Annabeth pulled away, and she noticed Percy's face was bright red. She looked at Mimi squarely. "_Now _do you believe me?"

Mimi curled her lip. "You'll be mine, Jackson," she snapped. Then she stormed off.

* * *

><p>Apollo was walking around the halls of school and came up with a great idea. He smiled and walked over to a beautiful brunette.<p>

"Hey, baby, are you teeth?" he asked.

The girl gave him a weird glance, but decided to play along. "Why?"

"Because I can't smile without you."

She groaned and stormed off. That wasn't much of an encouragement, but then Apollo figured it was an improvement over getting slapped.

"Hello, sweetie, do you know where you can find yourself?" he said to a blonde.

"Uhm, where?" the blonde said uncertainly.

"All over my brain."

The blonde snorted. "Sorry, buddy, but I have a very muscular, six-foot-tall boyfriend in the football team..."

He quickly walked away and spotted a tall girl. He smiled at her. "Hi, honey, did you feel the huge earthquake?"

"What the heck?"

"Ooh, sorry. That was just you rocking my world."

The tall girl shook her head and went back to her conversation with her friends.

He saw a friendly-looking redhead and said, "Are you a terrorist?"

To his surprise, the redhead looked intrigued. "Why do you think that?"

"Cause, baby, you da bomb!"

The girl gave him a thin smile. "Are you rain?"

Apollo grinned. Finally he was making progress. "Why?"

"Because when I see you coming, I usually run away."

Needless to say, Apollo pick-up lines plan was a huge failure.

* * *

><p>Thalia looked around in her locker for her homework that Annabeth helped her with last night. She was pretty sure that she was going to get an A. After all, it was Annabeth who did most of the work.<p>

"Hey, Thalia."

She turned and saw...Luke.

"Oh, it's you. How do you know my name?" she asked crisply.

Neil grinned. "I have my ways."

Thalia snorted. "Okay, then, see ya." She slammed her locker and headed off.

"Call me?" the guy called after her.

She glared at him. "Sorry, pal, no can do."

Artemis was smiling a few feet from them. _That's my girl,_ she thought proudly.

"I'll take that as a yes," Neil said.

"Buzz off, buddy."

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, for those who like Thalia as a Hunter—no worries. It's just friendship with her and the guy...unless you want something more to happen. PLEASE REVIEW.<strong>


	8. Ideas, Ideas

**Hi, guys! Thanks for the awesome reviews! Just got back from my vacation yesterday! Whew. Anyway, here's the new chapter. Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I AM STILL NOT RICK RIORDAN AND I DON'T OWN PJO.**

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><p>Ares was fiddling with his stupid math homework when he saw Aphrodite laughing with some guy.<p>

His temper flared to the max, and he took a deep breath. Even though he's the god of war and he can never resist an argument, he knew it was pointless when it came to Aphrodite. To begin with, Aphrodite never seems to feel threatened; she's always Ms. Coolness. And, of course, that will get him some bad points with her if he doesn't control his temper. Maybe he could pulverize the guy, though…

Ares sighed and slammed his locker. Hard. Aphrodite still didn't look at his direction.

He started feeling dejected, which made him all mad again. Grr…

Just then, he spotted a poster that said there will be a school dance on Friday. His eyes gleamed suddenly, and he began running to Aphrodite's direction.

He knew just _what _he had to do.

* * *

><p>Artemis was in the gym bathroom. She tied her long hair into a ponytail and rushed to the gym, not knowing what to expect. Maybe she could still recruit nicer girls, but she wasn't really sure this time. She might end up getting someone bratty again.<p>

Artemis passed a stall and paused. She was certain that she heard a sniffle.

She inched closer to the stall. Yep, there was definitely someone crying.

Suddenly, the door flicked open, making Artemis, who was leaning on the door for support, almost fall into the stall.

Artemis was shocked to see the gossipy girl from yesterday.

"Oh, it's you," the girl tried to say snidely, but her eyes were way too teary.

"What's wrong?" Artemis asked, feeling concerned, like she always feels when young maidens are upset.

The girl glared at her. "Nothing, okay?" she snapped. "Mind your own business next time." She ran out of the bathroom, still wiping her eyes.

* * *

><p>Athena and Poseidon sat in the back of the room together. They had the same study hall period, and the teacher wasn't there. They were making plans to break up their kids.<p>

"I have an idea," Poseidon whispered. "Let's tell the kids about the bad stuff that the other one is doing."

Athena rolled her eyes. "Idiot," she whispered back. "Why would they listen to us? They don't even know who we are."

"How about a…"

"No!" Athena snapped.

"Or maybe…"

"NO!"

"Well, how would it work if…"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

She said the last part a bit too loudly, but she didn't care. The teacher wasn't in the room anyway.

Poseidon huffed. "Why do you veto everything I say?"

"Because your ideas are horribly made," she retorted.

Poseidon shook his head. "Working with you is impossible, you know that?"

* * *

><p>Demeter was rushing to class when she crashed into Hermes.<p>

"Oh, hey, Auntie," Hermes said absently, pushing his _caduceus_ cell phone into his pocket.

"Hi, nephew," Demeter said warmly.

Hermes nodded. "I just got news," he said cheerfully. "My son is dating your daughter!"

Demeter arched an eyebrow. "Which daughter?"

"Katie Gardiner." Katie was Demeter's second favorite daughter, after Persephone of course.

"Oh," Demeter said after a pause. "And which son of yours is she dating?"

Hermes suddenly realized that Demeter wouldn't be as pleased as him. He's pretty sure that she still hadn't forgiven his son for the chocolate bunnies incident. Not to mention the exploding roses incident. Or even the poison ivy one three years ago...

"Oh, you know," he said, waving his hand airily. "I have tons of sons...oh, by the way, I think Apollo told me to plan a prank with him. See you later."

He ran away quickly, leaving a pondering Demeter. He ran even faster than when he stole cattle a few millena ago.

He's sure of one thing: He should avoid Demeter until she forgets about this.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Victor," Percy said to Lord Zeus.<p>

Zeus took a deep breath and exhaled sharply. He still hadn't forgiven Jackson for turning down immortality. "Hi, Percy," he muttered.

"Wanna go with Annabeth and me to Pete's Pizzeria later at lunch?" he offered. "I think Lucille is coming."

Zeus's head jerked up. Hera's coming with them? Why? Hera hated Annabeth. Unless...Zeus pursed his lips. He just realized that there was a petting farm next to that Pete's Pizzeria he was talking about. He passed it on the way to school. The farm has _cows._

A mental image of cows and Annabeth Chase made him shudder. He really needed to do something about that wife of his.

"Uh, if you don't want to, it's okay," Percy said lamely.

"No, no," Zeus rushed on. "I just realized...uh, I think that the pizzeria you're talking about is...is full of spiders!"

Zeus felt like kicking himself. Mental note: Try to practice lying.

Percy, however, looked nervous. "Oh, no," he said in a heavy voice. "Annabeth is going to kill me. She has, um, arachnophobia."

Zeus was relieved that his dumb statement was working. "Yes, so does Lucille," he lied.

"Oh," Percy said. "Okay, then. I think Annabeth and I will just be staying in the cafeteria. Even moldy beef stew is better than spiders. Please just tell your girlfriend."

Zeus nodded, immediately realizing that he was in BIG trouble with his wife.

* * *

><p>It was the end of the day. Thalia shook her head as she zipped up her favorite silver parka. Why was it freezing? It was barely even October.<p>

"Hey," a voice behind her said.

Gritting her teeth, she prepared herself to attack—and stopped short. The annoying guy was behind her, but then he had a girl standing next to him.

"Hi, Thalia," Neil said. "This is my girlfriend, Allie."

Allie smiled warmly and Thalia felt a huge, relieved grin on her face. Okay. So Neil had a girlfriend. Good. That meant she could actually be friends with him without worrying about bad things to happen.

"So, I gotta go," Allie said. Planting a kiss on Neil's cheek, she walked away.

Neil grinned at Thalia. "Wanna go over to my house?"

Thalia rolled her eyes but grinned back. He looked and acted so much like Luke before Luke turned into Kronos. "Why?"

"Maybe you'd like to hang out with my baby brother Luke."

* * *

><p><strong>So, there you go. Just plain ol' friendship. Zero romance. Thalia will remain a huntress. Is that okay?<strong>

**Please REVIEW!**


	9. Drama, Just Plain Drama

**Hi, guys! Thanks for your reviews. Oh, and you might want to check out my new story…if you're a Tratie fan. If not, then forget it.**

**DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT RICK RIORDAN AND I DON'T OWN PJO**

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><p>"Plan A," Poseidon whispered on a Wednesday morning.<p>

Athena looked sour. "This is still an idiotic idea. It could quite possibly harm my poor daughter—"

"The spiders are fake, Athena," Poseidon said calmly. To prove his point, he took out a spider from his jar and tossed it at Athena.

Athena shrieked and ducked. "I suppose I should've made peace with Arachne's descendants," she said grimly. "It's not their fault that their ancestress was unwise. Oh, well, let's get started."

Poseidon took out a marker from his backpack and scribbled, "From Percy" on it.

"Hold on," Athena said suddenly. "We forgot a minor detail…er, how to open my daughter's locker."

"Oh, right," Poseidon realized. Then he brightened. "Herm—I mean, Jeremy! Over here!"

Hermes walked over to them. "Hi," he said suspiciously. "Since when do you two hang out?"

Athena waved away his question. "Never mind that. How are your skills at lock-picking?"

Hermes looked horrified. "_How _are my skills at lock-picking? What kind of a question is that? I am Lord Hermes, god of thieves, and you ask how my skills—"

"Shut up," Poseidon hissed. "Can you just unlock a locker for us?"

Hermes looked at him skeptically and nodded. "Fine."

They led him to Annabeth's locker, and he took out a hairpin with crystal studs on it from his pocket and expertly wrenched the lock open without damaging it.

"Why do you keep a _crystal _hairpin?" Athena asked, sounding a bit amused.

Hermes sighed and slipped the hairpin back in his pocket. "Two golden drachmas please."

"What!" Poseidon exclaimed. "You never said anything about a price. And besides, you're a god! Why do you even need—"

Athena rolled her eyes and produced two Greek coins from her purse. "Satisfied?" Hermes gave them his crooked grin and sauntered off.

"Hurry up," Athena whispered. "They could come here any second."

Sure enough, they spotted the two of them coming. Poseidon squeaked, pushed the jar inside, slammed the locker shut, and dragged Athena with him.

Annabeth was laughing at something Percy said. Then she twirled her combination.

The jar of spiders lay exposed.

Annabeth just stood in shocked silence. Then she screeched, "SPIDERS!"

Percy ducked like a sword was thrown at him. "What?" he took the jar and studied it. It looked like a bunch of meaningless smudges to him, but he thought it was just his dyslexia acting up. "Ror-Rory, I think. That's funny. Do you know anyone named Rory?"

"What?" Annabeth asked, still looking red-faced and pulling at her hair like she wanted to rip it out.

"What?" Athena and Poseidon said together, looking as puzzled as Percy.

"It says, 'From Rory,'" Percy said, looking mystified. "I don't think I know anybody named Rory."

Athena narrowed her eyes in realization and faced Poseidon. "May I see the marker that you used?" she asked the sea god.

"Uh…" Poseidon fished his backpack for the marker, and Athena immediately snatched it from him. She groaned.

"Erasable, Whiteboard Marker," she read out loud. She glared at him. "I don't believe this. You were writing on _glass._ Why would you use an erasable marker? Of course it would be smudged!" She was practically yelling at that point.

Poseidon shrugged sheepishly. "Plan B?"

* * *

><p>Artemis spotted her brother giving terrible pick-up lines to random girls.<p>

"Are you a genie?" he asked one girl.

"Wha—"

"Because I think I just got my wish!" He tossed the girl a dazzling smile.

Artemis stomped her foot in frustration and grabbed her brother's arm. "Are you out of your mind?" she hissed.

Apollo looked at her eagerly. "Why?"

"No, I am not giving you a pick-up line," Artemis said, mentally smacking her forehead. "You are insane. I cannot believe that you are endangering these poor, young girls."

"Poor young girls?" Apollo repeated. "Are you kidding me? Can you even see what that hot girl is—"

"Ugh." Artemis shuddered. "You sicken me." And just when she was going to scold her brother further, the gossipy girl that she saw in the locker room suddenly appeared, grief-stricken. She rushed up to some guy and gave him a huge slap on the face.

"How could you?" she screamed. "You…you cheated on me!" She pointed at some other girl next to him. "With her!"

Artemis nearly doubled over in shock. "Hey, wasn't that the idiot who moronically asked me out for the dance last Monday?"

"Huh?" Apollo gaped at her. "Someone asked my baby sister—"

"I am not your _baby_ sister! And I said no," she added hastily. "But do you remember him?" She thought back. "We were in the cafeteria." They turned their attention back at the arguing couple.

The guy regarded his girlfriend calmly. "Sorry, babe. I guess I got pretty bored."

The gossipy girl was seething with anger. "Well, we're through!" She ran off, crying.

Artemis felt a pang in her chest. Poor girl. All because of that…that _male._

Ugh. Men.

* * *

><p>Hephaestus was feeling like he was about to pass out from boredom. Some history lesson about some guy a hundred years ago. Yawn. He was pretty sure he actually witnessed it, you know, being a god and all, so what was the point of learning about it?<p>

"Pair up and answer these review questions!" the teacher said.

Great. Now if there's one thing Hephaestus wasn't good at, it was working with other people. He was not good with organic life forms.

He looked around, checking if one of his Olympian friends were there. Just then, he spotted someone. Oh, she was an Olympian, all right. but she was _not_ his friend. Why couldn't Hestia have been in this class? Or Athena or Hermes. Heck, even Ares or his unfaithful wife was better than—

"Hello, son," Hera said in a cold, formal tone. She never forgave him for trapping her a few hundred years ago.

"Hello, Mother," Hephaestus said evenly. He never forgave _her _for tossing him out of Mount Olympus just because he was ugly.

"Now, let us begin with this, shall we," Hera said. It sounded more of a command than a request.

Hephaestus glowered at the window as Hera rambled on about things he didn't really care about. But in the back of his mind, he wondered if he was ever going to make peace with that mother of his.

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><p><strong>Let's see. Of all the chapters that I have written, this is the most drama-filled one, which would explain my chapter title. Curse my writer's block. Anyway, next chapter will have Thalia's part. Please REVIEW.<strong>


	10. Quality Time, Eh?

**Hullo, people! Thanks for the reviews. Sorry I wasn't able to update for a while. I just finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Kane Chronicles: Shadow's Serpent.**

**DISCLAIMER: I AM _STILL _NOT RICK RIORDAN AND I _STILL _DON'T OWN PJO.**

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><p>Thalia Grace had no idea what to expect as she followed her new friend to his house.<p>

Neil's mother was just about to leave. She waved at them from her car. Neil waved back.

They both walked in the house. "Want a snack?" Neil asked.

Thalia smiled. "Sure, thanks." She glanced around. "So, um, where's your brother?"

"Oh, yeah." Neil grinned. "Come here, Luke-man!"

A toddler, probably about two years old, crawled out of a room. He was old enough to walk, but he still tripped a bit over himself a bit.

"Neil-y?" the little boy asked, looking at his older brother in wonder. Then he saw Thalia. "Thally!"

Neil's eyebrows shot up. "Whoa. It seems like he knows your name or something."

Thalia was studying the little kid Luke. He had tufts of blond hair, blue eyes...and a scar. She swallowed. "How'd he get that scar?"

"I have no idea," Neil said with a frown. "The doctors said that maybe he was born with it or something. That's pretty common when it comes to babies, apparently."

"Okay, Neil, just a question," Thalia said. "Why the heck do you want to be friends with me?"

Neil shook his head. "I have no idea," he said again. "This is gonna sound terribly gross, but I felt a connection when I crashed into you in the hall. Nothing romantic or anything," he added quickly when he noticed Thalia's wrinkled nose. "I have a girlfriend, remember? I really don't know why, but I had a feeling that I needed to be your friend. I'm not sure if I can explain it further." An electronic beep suddenly interrupted them.

"Oh, Allie's calling me," Neil said, smirking. "Speak of the devil. Excuse me."

He walked out, leaving Thalia with Luke. Thalia stared at the kid and caught her breath, feeling completely sure now that this really was her old pal Luke. She was really proud that he didn't end up in Fields of Punishment, or anything. She patted his head. "You _are _a good guy after all," Thalia said. "Now, continue being good, bro. I know you can make it to Isles of the Blest."

Luke stared at her uncomprehendingly, then gave her a sticky smile. "Tanks, Thally," he said.

Thalia was in a good mood when she went home to Percy's. She knew why Neil was drawn to her. Maybe the Fates or the gods wanted her to know that Luke really was a great friend, and a hero in the end. And in the process, she also made a new friend. She decided to keep in touch with Neil. She knew that her fellow Hunters will make fun of her for it, but Hades with them. Maybe he was a repulsive boy, but he was also a friend, and that kind of balances it out, just like her friendship with Percy.

* * *

><p>Annabeth was scowling at the sink.<p>

It was Saturday afternoon. For some reason, Annabeth was in a terrible mood. As a daughter of Athena, she had sharper instincts than most. She suspected that someone was delibirately trying to sabotage her relationship with Percy.

She sighed and scrubbed a plate with the sponge. Mrs. Blofis had a cold, so Annabeth volunteered to wash the dishes. That was her least favorite chore, and it didn't help that a monster had broken in last night and destroyed the dishwasher while Thalia was shooting it with an arrow. Now the dishwasher stood next to the sink, broken beyond repair.

"Annabeth?" a voice said. Annabeth looked up and saw Percy there.

"Hey, Seaweed Brain," she said with a halfhearted smile.

Percy gave her a concerned look. "Something wrong?"

Annabeth shrugged as she tried to remove the greasy junk from under the pan. Gross. "I don't know. I just feel like someone's..." she trailed off.

"Trying to break us up?" Percy guessed, looking grim. "Look, Mimi is just crazy, and—"

"No," Annabeth said. "There's something else." She paused. "I don't know, Percy, but something weird is going on."

Percy nodded. "Yeah. I think I can sense it, too. Like...an immortal presence or something?"

"Yes," Annabeth said. "I hope that it's nothing serious."

She looked so worried and vulnerable, so unlike her usual confident self, that Percy couldn't resist putting his arms around her. "Don't worry, Wise Girl, everything will work out. With Mimi and everything."

He leaned down and kissed her. Annabeth could feel her worries tumbling away.

"Hey, Percy! Have you seen Mr. Blofis?" Nico was yelling. He flung the kitchen doors open and saw them kissing. He backed away awkwardly. "Uh, am I interrupting something?"

A foamy sponge flew from Annabeth's hand and hit Nico in the face.

Nico closed the door, wiping the soap and meat loaf essence from his face. Yuck. "Couples," he muttered.

* * *

><p>Nico finally found Paul. Paul agreed to let him take the fishing pole.<p>

"Maybe I can take you fishing, too, some other time," Paul suggested.

Nico grinned. "Thanks, sir. I'll keep that in mind." He wondered what it would be like to have nice, regular mortal parents who can take you fishing.

He left the place and went to the fishing pond across town. A boy wearing a black jacket and baggy jeans was sitting there, frowning at the water. "Hey, Adam," Nico called.

Hades looked up and smiled. "Hello, Nico," he said. Nico was aware that he had the same dark brown hair and brown eyes as he does. _Man, we could be brothers, _he thought. But then the thought of siblings made him remember Bianca di Angelo, his dead sister. He winced and pushed the thought from his mind.

Hades looked at his son in concern. "Anything wrong, Nico?"

Nico shook his head. "Um, just thinking about my sister." He exhaled. "She died a couple of years ago.

Hades tensed. Thinking about his own daughter was painful, too.

Nico realized what he said and immediately felt embarrassed. "Sorry," he muttered. He didn't usually tell strangers about his personal life, but for some reason, he wanted to tell this guy everything. That was _definitely _weird. He only felt like that with his dad.

He sat down next to Hades and put the line on the water.

It was pretty awkward for something like thirty minutes, until something pulled at Nico's line.

"Hey, you got a catch," Hades pointed out.

Nico yelped and tugged, and what appeared was a gigantic fish.

"Whoa!" Nico shouted.

Hades laughed and they high-fived.

After that, they went out for burgers and talked like a couple of good old friends. In a way, Hades felt closer to his son.

_Thank you, Poseidon, _Hades thought. Who knew that fishing could be a great way to get to know someone?

Maybe he could go fishing with Persephone, too, for some bonding time. Okay, never mind, that idea was just weird, and he's pretty sure that Demeter wouldn't really go for that.

All in all, it was the best father-son trip, even if Nico didn't know that it was one.

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><p><strong>Gah, I'm still feeling dizzy from all the Harry Potter reading last night. I didn't sleep until, like, 4 am. Ugh. Anyway, hope you liked it! Please REVIEW.<strong>


	11. PreDance, Part 1

**Hey, what's up, y'all? It's 2:30 am (at least where I am right now) in the morning, so please forgive me if this chapter seems bad. But I don't think it will. (At least, I hope not!)**

**Oh, and thanks for the reviews!**

**DISCLAIMER: I WILL NEVER BE RICK RIORDAN AND I DON'T OWN PJO. (WHY?)**

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><p>Ares and Aphrodite were walking in the mall, when Ares ever-so-casually mentioned the dance tomorrow night.<p>

"Oh, yeah!" Aphrodite said. "I'm scheduled to go there with twenty guys."

Ares tripped on an old lady's walker in surprise, not even noticing when the old lady smacked him on the leg with it and hobbling off in a huff. "You're what?"

"Dancing with twenty guys," she said dreamily. "Then I'll pair them up with cute girls without dates!"

Ares exhaled. "So you're not dating any of them?" He was half-glad and half-disappointed, because then he wouldn't get to hit any guy with his spear.

Aphrodite's blue**—**wait, green**…**now it's turning gray**…**well, you get the thing with kaleidoscope eyes**—**widened. "Ares**—**um, Gary, darling, I will never cheat on you! Name one time that I'd _ever _been unfaithful."

Ares thought about Aphrodite's plethora of demigod children, Hephaestus, a LOT of Hollywood actors and star athletes, and not to mention about a dozen minor gods, but Aphrodite's multicolored eyes were flashing dangerously, as if daring him to say what's on his mind. And she can look pretty menacing.

Aphrodite relaxed and gave him a sweet smile. "I'll slow dance with you," she promised. Then she went into full rambling mode.

"What dress color goes with my eyes? Lilac or periwinkle blue?"

"Peri**—**what?" Ares asked, feeling confused. What the heck was that? It sounded like a sneeze medicine for old people. It's amazing that in Ares's three thousand (give or take) years alive, he had never heard of that. But he was the god of bloodshed and war, for Olympus' sake!

"Maybe sea-foam green? Appropriate, since I sprung from the sea," Aphrodite ranted.

"Well**—**"

"Pastel makeup? Or those dark tones? Maybe a clad of kohl, like those punk girls?"

Kohl, Ares heard of. Those were the eyeliner things that were famous even back of the Ancient Egypt days.

"Hey, you need to get me a corsage," she said seriously. "And I'll get you a boutonniere. Maybe a carnation for you, sweetie."

Then she skipped away happily to another store, leaving Ares to wonder what a button-year was.

* * *

><p>Hades and Nico were hanging out in the hall, still laughing about the fishing trip.<p>

A girl with dark hair caught Hades's eye, and he turned to his son. "Why don't you ask a girl out? Maybe for the dance?"

Nico's face turned three shades of red. "Um, I'm just thirteen?"

"You'll be fourteen after five months," Hades pointed out.

Nico looked at him curiously. "How did you know?"

"Er, your information in Friendbook," Hades lied.

Now Nico was really confused. "Do you mean Facebook?"

Hades wanted to kick himself. "Um, right. Facebook."

"Okay, then, I'll friend you," Nico said.

Then a cute girl walked by, and Nico turned even redder.

"Hi, Nico," the girl said. Nico's mouth opened, then he looked helplessly at Hades like he lost the ability to breathe.

"Hey, Nico wants to go to the dance with you," Hades blurted.

Nico turned, if possible, way redder.

The girl smiled. "Oh, sure, Nico!" Then she glanced at Hades. "Who are you?"

"I'm his fa**—**friend, Adam," Hades said. "And you are?"

"Lily Flowers," the girl said, grinning.

Lily**—**oh, dear Olympus, Hades thought. He recognized the name all right. She was a daughter of Demeter! Demeter was planning to claim her this summer. He overheard Demeter telling Persephone about it when she visited the Underworld.

Lily walked away, smiling. Nico glared at Hades, then smiled.

"Hey, Adam?"

"What?"

"Thanks." Then with his hands on his pocket, he walked off too, leaving Hades wondering about what in his name was about these daughters of Demeter, like Persephone.

* * *

><p>Artemis finally found the girl with the narcissistic boyfriend.<p>

"Hello," she said quietly.

The girl looked up, annoyed. Her eyes were circled like a raccoon's, implying that she was pretty stressed. "What do you want, Silver?"

"What's your name?"

The girl sniffed. "Diana."

"Like the Roman goddess of the Hunt," Artemis found herself saying.

"Yes," Diana said with a nod. "But actually, I was named after Princess Diana."

"Ah, another woman with a complicated love life," Artemis mused. "She had a tragic ending, too, partly because of her terrible relationship with her husband."

"The story of my life," Diana muttered. "Sometimes I think that life would be less insane without boys."

"I know," Artemis said calmly. "Believe me, I know."

Diana sniffed again and brought a handkerchief to her nose. "We were supposed to go to the dance together," she said sadly. "And also to prom, next year. But then he went out with that ugly, man-stealing**—"**

"Do you want to go with me and my friends?" Artemis questioned.

"Which friends?" Diana asked.

"There's this girl Thalia**—**"

"Oh, yeah, the emo girl," Diana sneered, momentarily turning back to her former self.

"She happens to be really nice," Artemis defended. "Oh, and, just out of curiousity, how old are you?"

"Fifteen, but I'll be sixteen next month."

Artemis smiled. Still eligible to join the Hunters.

"Okay, then, Diana. I'll see you on the dance." Artemis got up.

"Wait, Luna," Diana said hesitantly.

"Yeah?"

"Who are your other friends? No males, right? 'Cause I don't really want to see one at the moment."

Artemis cracked another smile. "Yes, no males, of course. Now, I have to go. See you."

Artemis immediately made plans of contacting her Hunters.

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><p><strong>Now it's 3:44, and I am still not sleepy. I think I'll go watch some TV.<strong>

**Thanks for reading, and please REVIEW.**


	12. PreDance, Part 2

**Oh, my God, I got more than 100 reviews! You guys are the best! Thanks for your continuous reviewing!**

**DISCLAIMER: NOT RICK RIORDAN. THEREFORE, I DON'T OWN PJO.**

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><p>Hera was innocently striding by the halls when she heard a giggle.<p>

She ducked her head in the room that the giggle seemed to be coming from.

Zeus.

No, Zeus wasn't the one giggling. It would be absolutely scandalous if the King of the Gods giggled. It was a fair redhead wearing a micromini, something that Hera thought was inappropriate for women and especially young girls. Honestly, what is the need of too much leg exposure?

"Oh, I'd love to go to the dance with you!" the girl exclaimed.

Zeus smiled at her. "Thank you. I promise you a good time."

_What?_ Her husband was going to a dance with another girl? A girl wearing a micromini? Outrageous!

A plan started to form in Hera's mind. The perfect revenge.

She was going to ask a boy to the dance.

With certain limits of course. No kissing, hugging, or any of those things. She wasn't going to be unfaithful to Zeus. She was the goddess of marriage!

But they would dance, and knowing Zeus, that will be enough to make him jealous.

Grinning, Hera quickly pulled her head from the door before the couple noticed her.

* * *

><p>Hades spotted Demeter in the halls, turned white, and ran to the closest open door.<p>

He'd been avoiding her since the incident with Nico and Lily. Demeter never quite forgave Hades for taking her daughter away, and he didn't want the same, stressful scenario for Nico.

An awful, sour smell entered his nose the minute he closed the door. Even worse than the smell of Styx, if that was possible.

_Where am I? _His hand felt the wall for a light switch, then he flicked the lights on.

He was in the janitor's broom closet. The mop next to him, which was covered with yellow gunk, explained the stench.

Then he realized that he wasn't alone. He whirled around to see...Hermes.

"What are you doing here?" they exclaimed at the same time.

"Hiding from Demeter," they answered in unison again.

"Wait, why?" Hades asked, feeling perplexed as he looked at his nephew.

Hermes looked sheepish. "I got news from Camp Half-Blood that my son Travis is dating her daughter," Hermes explained. "And I know that Demeter isn't really a fan of my kids. I've been avoiding her for days."

"Oh, boy," Hades muttered. "Well, at least your son is at camp. Unfortunately for me, Nico is also dating a daughter of Demeter, too. And of course, Demeter doesn't like Nico that much, because Nico hates cereal."

"What is up with these daughters of Demeter, anyway?" Hermes grumbled.

"You tell me," Hades said.

"Me? You're the one married to Persephone, Uncle," Hermes retorted.

Hades glared at him, but they spoke in unison again. "We need to tell her."

"She's going to bite our heads off, you know," Hades warned.

"Yes," Hermes moaned. "I had poison ivy in my underpants for a week just because I forgot to give her the shipment of pansies. In my defense, a lot of gods were asking me to give stuff back and forth. It's almost enough for me to quit being the god of messengers."

"But if we don't tell her, our sons would be in trouble," Hades said.

"Yeah, better us than them," Hermes said glumly.

Suddenly, the door opened, and an old man wearing overalls was glaring at them. The janitor. Oops.

"Get out of my closet!"

* * *

><p>Hephaestus and Apollo were walking at the halls.<p>

"Have you heard of the dance?" Hephaestus rumbled.

Apollo nodded. "Really hard to ask girls out when you're nothing but a teenager," Apollo said gloomily. "My godly charms don't seem to be getting through me. I feel like I'm back in puberty again, even though that was more than two thousand years ago."

Hephaestus was about to reply when a pretty girl approached them.

"Hey, baby!" Apollo exclaimed immediately.

The girl looked at him in disgust and turned to Hephaestus. "You're Charlie, right?" she asked. "We have the same art class."

"Oh, yeah," Hephaestus recalled.

"Anyway, it's a short notice, but wanna go to the dance with me?" the girl asked.

"Sure," Hephaestus replied.

"Thanks!" Giving him a brilliant smile, the girl left.

Apollo was staring at Hephaestus with his mouth wide open.

Hephaestus shrugged. "Sorry, man, you're on your own." Humming, he walked away, too.

* * *

><p>"Any more brilliant ideas?" Poseidon asked sarcastically.<p>

They were alone in the disgusting appartment, planning break-up strategies.

Athena gave him a gray-eyed death glare. "This 'breaking-up' business isn't of my specialty," she snapped. "Give me a Pythagorian theorem problem any day. Or blueprints, which I could fill and edit in less than a minute. Or..."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," Poseidon muttered.

They've been on a roll for three days, performing three strategies, which all backfired on their faces. Literally, on Poseidon's part, explaining the bruises on the side of his head. But he doesn't want to talk about that.

"Maybe we should just give up," Poseidon suggested. He loved his son Percy, after all, and he doesn't want him to get hurt. Although, considering the bruises, it was _him_ getting hurt, and he doubted if Percy even noticed anything. Besides, Percy and Annabeth were closer than ever.

"Give up?" Athena said shrilly. "No way."

"Wanna go to the dance with me tomorrow night?" Poseidon asked suddenly.

"What?" Athena was looking at him, aghast and a little...flattered.

"For more planning," he added quickly. "The dance seems like the perfect opportunity, you know, considering both my son and your daughter are there."

"Oh," Athena said, feeling a tad disappointed. _No, no, not disappointed! _she thought frantically. The last thing she needed was to end up like her daughter, falling for some sea creature. "Fine," she said brusquely.

"Okay, then," Poseidon said with a smile. "And let's have a snack. All this 'strategic reasoning' is making me feel ravenous."

"Big word for a kelp-brained God of the Sea," Athena said with a grin, and they both headed to the kitchen.

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><p><strong>Terrible, awful news. School starts tommorow. GOOD-BYE, FREEDOM!<strong>

**Anyway, please review. :D**


	13. Preparations, The God Style

**Hey, guys! Once again, thanks for the reviews! I'm really sorry about not updating sooner. I guess I've been pretty busy lately.**

**And I've received a lot of questions asking about where I live. Well, I live in the ****Philippines****, a sunny and nice Asian country, and summer just ended. Sucks, right?**

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN PJO.**

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><p>Hera and Demeter were both sleeping soundly when…<p>

"AAHHH!"

They both sat up, looking scared out of their wits.

Hera tried to sit up, but she only succeeded in falling off her bed. "What in Hades!" Demeter shrieked.

"What?" a voice yelled from the next bedroom.

"Be quiet, Hades," Poseidon's voice grumbled. "It's a Saturday!"

"Ow," Hera moaned from the floor. "I think I just crushed my skull!"

"Can you all SHUT UP?" Ares roared from his bedroom.

"Ares! Stop yelling or I'll pierce your face with my arrows!" Artemis shouted. "I'm honestly trying to sleep!"

Apollo's voice shouted. "KILLER WHALES! AHHHH!"

"Whales are the largest mammals in the whole world," Athena droned from her bed, half asleep. "They feed on planktons and kelp. Orcas are widely known killer whales in the oceans…"

Zeus covered his head with a pillow. He couldn't stand it anymore. "Everyone! Family meeting in the kitchen!" he bellowed. "And stop shouting!"

* * *

><p>The Olympians entered the kitchen, glaring daggers at each other.<p>

Zeus sat on one of the kitchen chairs and frowned at everyone. "All right," he said. "What was all that shouting about?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Athena grunted. "I was peacefully slumbering, and then you called this meeting, which I find abhorrent and completely unnecessary."

Zeus stared at her incredulously. "You didn't hear any noise?"

"What noise?" Athena snapped.

"Whoa," Poseidon said. "You're probably one heavy sleeper."

Hermes snickered. "That sounds _so_ wrong, Uncle."

"What?" Poseidon asked, confused.

Zeus sighed and tapped his fingers on the table. "People, honestly. I just want to know why you insist on destroying a peaceful day, when I could be asleep."

"Don't you know what today is?" Aphrodite gushed. She was actually the one who started screaming in the first place, but given everyone's moods, she decided not to tell them. "Today is the day of the dance!"

They all stared at her uncomprehendingly.

"The dance?" she prompted impatiently. She pantomimed a waltz move.

"Oh, yeah," everyone said in unison, suddenly remembering.

"So…I have to make you all look gorgeous!" she said. "You know, seeing that you're all incapable of it…" She glanced at Apollo pointedly.

"Well, excuse me," Apollo said, self-consciously covering a mustard stain on his pajamas. "I am gorgeous enough on my own, thank you very much."

Aphrodite smiled. "Really, Apollo? Do _you _have a date for the dance?"

Apollo stared at her for a second. "No," he muttered.

"You see! I can help all of you." She took out a mega-sized planner and started flipping through it. "Artemis, Athena, and Hestia, you're going with me for manicures, pedicures, and foot spa at ten-thirty." She scanned her list. "Demeter and Hera, I'm going to take you shopping atnoon. Zeus, Poseidon and Hades, you're coming with us on the shopping trip."

Artemis scowled at Aphrodite. "Foot spa? Why? My feet are perfectly fine!"

"Oh, you're just as delusional as your twin," Aphrodite sighed. "Artemis, dear, your feet are heavily calloused. Plus, they have those terrible—"

She didn't get to finish because a plate was suddenly flying in her direction.

After prying Aphrodite off Artemis, they all settled down. Aphrodite continued with her list. "Apollo: facials at two-thirty. Hephaestus and Hermes: shopping at three. And Ares…" She studied her list. "Everything," she proclaimed.

"What!" Ares exclaimed.

Aphrodite shook her head at him "You're going to be my date right? I need you to look at least _half _glamorous as I do." Ares nodded numbly.

"So we're done here?" Aphrodite clarified. She stood up and slammed her fist on the table. "Let's move people! We have one busy day ahead of us!"

She used her most powerful charmspeaking. With glassy eyes, they all stood up and marched to the showers.

When they left the kitchen, however, Artemis pulled her brother aside. "Killer whales?"

Apollo looked at her indignantly. "They're scary! Really scary!"

Artemis stared at him for a moment. Then she walked to the bathroom and slammed the door.

* * *

><p>Annabeth sat up on her bed, feeling strangely giddy. She wondered, <em>What day is it today?<em>

She flipped through her calendar. "Oh, yeah," she said out loud. "The dance."

Thalia lifted her head from the couch. "Annabeth?" she asked. "Why are you up so early?"

"We're gonna have the dance today, Thals," Annabeth said. She giggled uncharacteristically. "My first dance with Percy." She collapsed on her bed in a heap of giggles.

Thalia stared at her with her eyes wide open. "Okay…"

"Did someone call me?" Percy asked, entering the room.

"Percy!" Thalia snapped. "We could've been doing girl stuff!"

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Such as?"

"Oh, I don't know…" Thalia said, pretending to think about it. "DRESSING UP?"

"Jeez," Percy huffed. He stood by Annabeth's bed and smiled at her.

Annabeth peered at him from under the mass of blankets. "You look really hot today," she muttered. Then her eyes widened when she realized that she said that out loud. "Uh, I mean, um, it's really hot today!" She flung her blankets off and started fanning herself, like a crazy person trapped in a desert.

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Who are you and what have you done with Annabeth?"

Nico walked in, rubbing his eyes. "What's for breakfast?" he asked.

"Hey, Nico," Percy smirked. "I heard you got a date."

Nico's face turned into the color of an overripe tomato. "H-How did you find out?" he stuttered.

"You were mumbling in your sleep last night," Percy said. "Something about a girl named Millie?"

"Lily!" he corrected, then started blushing again.

"Aw," Thalia said, getting up and ruffling his hair. "Guys, our little Nico is growing up! He's blushing!"

"No, I am not!" he protested. He looked around desperately. "It's just…really hot today!"

"Heard that one before," Thalia smirked, shooting a look at Annabeth, who stuck her tongue out at her in response.

"Kids!" Mrs. Blofis called from the kitchen. "Breakfast is ready! I made blue waffles!"

"Yum!" Nico said, glad for an excuse to escape. He ran out of the door faster than a rocket.

Percy stuck his elbow out at Annabeth like an old-timey gentleman. "Escort you there, my lady?"

"Enchanted, my lord," Annabeth said nonchalantly, looping her arm with his.

"Shut up or get a room," Thalia gagged, looking pretty grossed out.

Together, they went down for waffles.

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><p><strong>Phew…there you have it. I finished another chapter. Seriously, was that Percabeth part a bit too much? Should I cut it down a little? Please review and tell me what you think! <strong>


	14. More Preparing? AHHH!

**Hi, guys! Thanks for the awesome reviews! And I'm BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!**

**DISCLAIMER: I AM STILL NOT RICK RIORDAN AND I DON'T OWN PJO.**

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><p>Aphrodite wiped her forehead with a white lace handkerchief embroidered with pink roses. "There!" she declared.<p>

Angry stares were thrown at her.

She didn't seem to notice. "I guess you can get out of your straitjacket now," she told Artemis. She snapped her fingers.

Artemis's straitjacket flicked away, revealing a gorgeous silver gown, which displayed way too much legs.

"There is no way that I am wearing this," she snapped. She tried to rip it off, but it was stuck to her like glue. "What did you do?" she yelled at Aphrodite.

Aphrodite held out a bright pink cell phone. On the screen appeared a picture of Hecate, the magic goddess. "She's one of my pals, you know," Aphrodite said, smirking. "She casted a spell on the outfits. And since our godly forms are subdued, this magic is really powerful, so don't try to get out of it or you'll just hurt yourself."

Apollo admired himself in the mirror. "I don't mind, Aphro." He did a 360-degree spin in front of the mirror, got dizzy, and crashed into Hades.

"Watch it, nephew," Hades snapped.

"And don't call me Aphro," Aphrodite chimed in. "It sounds like those 70's hairstyle."

The gods and goddesses looked ravishing, to put it mildly. Aphrodite had really outdone herself. The guys sported fashionable tuxedos and the girls wore evening gowns.

"Hey, how about you?" Hermes wondered.

Aphrodite gave him a secretive smile. "Be right back," she said. Barely two minutes later, she emerged from the door wearing...well, it was really hard to describe. It was just like her face: imagine the most beautiful gown in the world, multiply it by twenty, and there you have it.

They all stared at her, stunned.

"Wow!" Apollo cried, breaking the silence, and earning him a death glare from Ares.

Aphrodite grinned. "Tell me about it. This is the most beautiful dress that I own."

"Why don't you wear it to more important events, like the Winter Solstice Ball or the Annual Olympus Dance-a-Thon?" Zeus wondered. "Why would you wear it to a low-budget high school dance?"

Aphrodite rolled her eyes at him. "Because, Zeus, in Olympus, everyone's used to seeing me beautiful that they don't even care anymore," she sniffed. "I think the last time that everyone swooned over me was when western civilization was in Germany." She twirled around. "I want to wear this to a place where people actually care, even if they're mortals."

"I appreciate you," Apollo said, wide-eyed.

"Mm-hmm. That's nice, hon. Anyway, I got to scoot. I need to fix a hundred girls up. Ta-ta!" She left.

They all stared after her. "Goddesses," Hermes muttered.

"Sexist," Artemis said to herself, though it was unclear who she was talking about.

Poseidon cleared his throat. "Maybe whe should get ready, anyway." He held out his arm for Athena, who awkwardly took it.

* * *

><p>"What are these things?" Percy asked, poking through the cloth like it was a gorgon.<p>

"Ascots," Nico said immediately. "They go well with suits."

Percy shot him a weird look. How did a fourteen-year-old know about that?

"What?" Nico defended. "They were huge in the 40's. Men wore them to funerals, to parties, to..." He broke off, realizing that it was going to take him a long time to explain. "Well, you get what I mean."

Percy sighed. "Well, Mr. di Angelo, your knowledge in fluffy lions that appear next to cheerleaders in a baseball game isn't going to score you any points with Lily."

"You're talking about mascots, dumb-brain," Nico retorted. "You ought to know about these things, since Annabeth will probably quiz you about them."

Percy sighed again. This was going to take a while.

* * *

><p>"This is torture," Annabeth hissed.<p>

"Well, this is your fault," Thalia snapped back.

"Are you _paying _attention?" a certain dark-haired daughter of Aphrodite snapped at them.

That's right. Annabeth invited Drew over to help them dress up.

It wasn't Annabeth's fault, really. Neither her nor Thalia knew anything about dance-worthy clothing, so Drew was the only option.

"Yes, Drew," Annabeth said through clenched teeth. "Please continue with your...lesson."

"Good," Drew said primly. She launched back to her PowerPoint presentation that concerned the difference between cherry red and strawberry red lipstick.

Thalia glared at Annabeth, who could only look back at her miserably.

Dances are the pits. And so are Aphrodite girls.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry for not updating. Really. I'm super busy. In fact, I'm so busy, I should be reviewing for my math quiz tomorrow. See you guys next time, and I'm so sorry for my tardiness. Oh, and sorry that it's too short. I promise to make the dance part (which is next chapter, sorry for my terribly made suspense) really long and awesome.<strong>


	15. The Dance (Finally)

**Hey, guys. First of all, I apologize for not being able to update in a gazillion years, it seems. Second, I was reading the past chapters, and I realized that they needed heavy editing, because I noticed that I reused plenty of words, like Athena saying "unwise" several times. So I feel like an idiot for both reasons. Sorry, guys and thanks a bunch for the reviews. Anyway, enjoy this.**

**DISCLAIMER: WILL NEVER BE RICK RIORDAN EVEN IF I GET PLASTIC SURGERY, TURN INTO A GUY, AND ACQUIRE GREAT WRITING SKILLS.**

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><p>Finally, it was the day of the dance. All the Olympians rode in the limousine that Aphrodite rented.<p>

Aphrodite was pleased that her godly family members finally resigned themselves to their clothes. Even Artemis stopped shooting the love goddess murderous looks, though she still looked irritated.

The limo stopped suddenly and the driver lowered the glass window separating them. "We're here, Miss Angelina," the driver announced, looking admiringly at Aphrodite.

Aphrodite smiled sweetly. "Thank you," she said. She leaned closer to the driver. "Unfortunately, I don't have any money with me, so I can't give you a tip. Is that okay?"

The driver, who had a love goddess's face hovering a few inches from his, nodded helplessly. And with that, the Olympians hustled out of the limo, only to be gawked at by a hundred teenagers. Almost immediately, every male—jocks, nerds, etc.—were blinded by Aphrodite's stunning beauty and they rushed to her side subconsciously.

Zeus rolled his eyes and turned to his family members. "By the way, where's Hera?"

"Oh, she left with some guy," Apollo said dismissively. "Hey, Dad, isn't that your date over there?"

Zeus's gorgeous date steered him away, chattering in a friendly manner. But Zeus, uncharacteristically, did not give her any attention. His mind was reeling, and his eyes were glued to the entrance of the gym.

That's right. His wife arrived. With a great-looking guy who, for the first time, wasn't him.

And to make things worse, Hera looked stunning—her dark hair shone under flourescent lights, and she was laughing at everything that mortal scum was saying.

"Victor?" his date pressed.

"Who?" Zeus said absently. Then he realized that they were in the middle of the dance floor, being shoved around by dancing high school students. He sighed heavily and dance halfheartedly with his date.

What was that bitter taste in his mouth? Why did his stomach feel like it was infested with slugs? Why did he feel like striking everybody around him with lightning, including his own date?

That couldn't be jealousy...could it?

Meanwhile, Hera noticed her husband with a deflated look on his godly face and grinned to herself, while her date jabbered away about something.

Hera laughed hysterically, keeping an eye at Zeus. "That's so funny," she gushed.

The guy looked at her weirdly. "What was so funny? I was talking about how my dog got worms last summer."

Hera winced invisibly behind her award-winning smile and smartly changed the subject. "Wanna dance?"

* * *

><p>Poseidon popped a cupcake in his mouth. Athena was looking at something by the dance floor, her face expressionless and her eyes flat.<p>

"Is there a problem?" Poseidon asked her through a mouthful of crumbs.

Athena sighed and brushed the crumbs from her sleeve. She refused to look at him. "Look at my daughter," she said.

Poseidon followed her gaze. The blonde was dancing with his son, and both of them looked happy. Poseidon thought that Percy looked even happier than when he had defeated the titans.

"Do we really want to break them up?" Athena said softly. "I did not know that a child of mine could even look that happy. She looks even more triumphant than my son George when he crossed the Delaware river. More victorius than my daughter Amelia when she became the first woman to fly an airplane. What is that supposed to be?"

Poseidon looked at the wisdom goddess. She looked young and confused, something that he never expected a know-it-all like her to look like. "I don't know," he said honestly.

Athena snorted inelegantly and finally looked at him. "Of course you don't. If I don't know, you don't know. Simple as that."

Poseidon rolled his eyes. "Here," he said, shoving her a cupcake. "Eat that up, and then we're going to dance."

Athena smiled slightly and bit the treat. "Fine," she said. "But we are leaving my daughter alone."

"My son as well," Poseidon said firmly. "I never wanted to do this anyway."

* * *

><p>"Lady Artemis," Phoebe whispered. "Is that our sister and lieutenant Thalia dancing with a...a male?"<p>

Artemis nodded grimly. "I shall speak to her later," she said. She glanced at her girls and grimaced. They wore full skirts and long sleeves, definitely looking more appropriate than she did in that disgustingly short hemline that Aphrodite forced her to wear. Luckily, her girls didn't comment on it.

"Hey, honey, dance with me," some guy said, touching the arm of Anna, one of the Hunters.

Before Artemis could say anything, the guy was sprawled on the floor with blood pouring out of his nose.

"Behave yourselves," Artemis whispered, averting her eyes at the passers-by who started to stare. "If a boy approaches you, just ignore him."

Artemis suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder. She whirled around and saw Diana.

"Hey," she said flatly. She looked at the rest if the girls.

Artemis smiled. "Why, hello, Diana. Care to join us outside? We have an offer to make that may bewilder you."

* * *

><p>Nico tried to dance like everyone was, failed, and retreated glumly to the corner.<p>

Lily already called to say that she was going to be thirty minutes late. Nico hoped that she didn't just ditch him and went out with some jock. After all, Lily was definitely pretty. Way too pretty to be seen with a depressing son of Hades.

"Hey, brother," Apollo said, sitting down on the bleachers with him. He tried to pick up more chicks, but most of them slapped him, laughed at him, or threw punch at him. One particularly scary girl threatened to jam a chair down his throat when he wouldn't leave him alone. Then he realized that that was Athena he accidentally hit on. Whoops.

Nico stared at him glumly. "Oh, hey, um...Burt, right?"

"No, I'm Apol—" he stopped short. Oh, right. Mortal name. Then he tried to remember his mortal name. Was it _really _Burt? He wasn't sure. It was an actor's name, and it started with a B...Bruce Willis? That didn't sound right.

"Your name is Apple?" Nico said, confused.

Apollo stared at him. Where in Hades did the kid get that? "Um, uh...my name is—"

"Nico!" a girl's voice interrupted them. It was Lily Flowers, looking radiant in a floral dress. She flashed him a smile. "There you are. I've been looking all over for you."

"Hey, Lily," Nico fumbled, his pale face turning cherry-red.

"C'mon, let's dance," she urged. She brought him to his feet and led him to the dance floor.

Nico turned to Apollo, looking happier. "See you later, Apple," he said cheerfully.

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><p><strong>So, how was it? My writing's a bit rusty, so I'll update soon. Review, please!<strong>


	16. The Dance Again

**Here is my next update. Thanks for the reviews, dudes.**

**DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT RICK RIORDAN. IS IT SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND?**

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><p>Percy was having a great time dancing with Annabeth, who looked princess-like in her silver dress with thin spaghetti straps. And it surprised Annabeth to know that her boyfriend improved in dancing.<p>

Of course, their happiness was short-lived when someone tapped Percy's shoulder.

There stood Mimi, looking very pretty yet venomous.

"Mind if I cut in?" she said frostily.

Percy looked her in the eye. "Yes, I do mind, Mimi," he said simply. Then he steered Annabeth away.

Annabeth glanced at her over Percy's shoulder. Mimi looked crestfallen. "Don't be mean, Seaweed Brain."

"Mean?" Percy retorted. "I tried to say no nicely, I try to treat her like a friend, but every time I do something nice for her, she thinks I'm in love with her or something." He glanced at Annabeth. "Do you get me?"

"I guess," Annabeth sighed, mainly because Percy looked a bit hysterical. She pecked him quickly on the lips to calm him down.

She had no idea how to get Percy out of this situation, but she knew exactly how Mimi felt. She had those 'hung-up on Percy' moments, too.

* * *

><p>"This is ridiculous," Hermes grumbled. "Let's just go back in the gym, Uncle."<p>

Hades looked at Hermes sharply. "I just saw my son dancing with Demeter's child, Hermes. We need to make sure that Demeter doesn't see them."

"But we've been following her _everywhere_!" Hermes complained.

He wasn't exaggerating, either. When Demeter was drinking some fruity punch, they hid under the snack table. When she was by the gardens outside the gym, they hid behind rose bushes, getting pricked by thorns in the process. And when Demeter was about to go near Nico and Lily, Hades tackled her, squeaking, "Let's dance, Demeter!"

Now they were crouching outside the girls' bathroom for nearly ten minutes.

"This has gone too far," Hermes complained. "If this goes on, we're going to have to tell Demeter everything."

"Tell Demeter what?" a voice behind them said. Hades and Hermes turned to gape at the agriculture goddess.

She raised an eyebrow at them. "Yes?"

Hermes sighed. "I'm telling her," he said to Hades. He turned to his aunt. "My son Travis is dating one of your favorite daughters, Katie," he said. "And Nico di Angelo is there dancing with Lily Flowers. I think they're kind of...a thing."

Demeter stared at them for a moment.

Then a humongous "WHAAAT?" shook the building.

* * *

><p>Hestia was dancing with a boy from her Spanish class.<p>

"You're really great at Spanish, Sophia," the boy said admiringly. "I mean, you did an entire speech in Spanish. I can't even say a _sentence. _Do you have Mexican blood or something?"

Hestia smiled. When you're alive a lot longer than most, you tend to know every language invented. "_No, sólo me gusta hablar español_," she said.

The guy laughed. "I don't even know what you just said. But," he added, frowning, "you're really shy most times. I mean, you're great at a lot of stuff, but no one even notices until, like, tests and presentations. Why?"

Hestia thought for a moment. Why did she? Well, she lay low because her family members were already fighting enough for fifty people. If she fought for the things that should be hers, no one would maintain the peace. But the thing is, mortals are different. They kind of expected you to show off your talents and things. But then she was never really noticed, except during the times where she does something brilliant, and usually it was overshadowed by what the Olympians did.

Hestia looked at her friend and began speaking. She started telling him about her life (using heavy metaphors, of course). She described how the entire family fought, and she had to maintain the peace in her own way. Then she told him a bunch of other stuff too.

When she finished, she couldn't understand why he was just staring at her. Then she realized that she said the entire thing in Spanish.

She had a tendency to mix languages up. Hey, if you knew all the languages in the world, you would too.

"_Iperdón_," she said. She shook her head. "Er...遺憾. Um, 待つ..."

To her surprise, the guy laughed. Hestia chuckled, too. "C'mon," he said, grinning. "Let's get some punch."

* * *

><p>Ares was glaring at Aphrodite, the goddes who was supposed to be <em>his <em>date. Instead, she was swaying with a guy to some sort of waltz.

Even in that horribly starched shirt and itchy blazer, he was more or less a wallflower, and the only way to get out of that situation was to summon a bunch of hellhounds and massacre the entire dance. He popped a cookie in his mouth and decided against it. Those little punks didn't know how lucky they were.

He surveyed the scene. Of course, there was Aphrodite, looking beautiful and perky as she danced with guy after guy. Then there was Artemis with her pre-teen set of girls dressed like they popped out of the Renaissance Era, dragging a new girl with them.

Hestia was laughing with some guy, though it was clear that it was platonic.

Poseidon and Athena were awkwardly trying to dance, though it seemed clear that Athena was trying to lead.

Through the open door, Ares could see Demeter holding the ears of the Lord of the Dead and the Messenger God, and she was leading them to the garden outside. Probably because that was where her power was the strongest.

Zeus was stepping over his dance partner's toes every minute because he was looking at Hera, whose face seemed to be glazed in a goddess grin.

Apollo was there, getting slapped by girls as much as Zeus was stepping over his date's toes.

Then there was Hephaestus, who surprisingly looked like he was having a good time with some girl.

Ares's eyes drifted to the demigods. His sort-of-sister Thalia was dancing with some guy and looking very happy. He wondered if Thalia was going to drop out of the Hunters. Probably not.

Nico, Uncle Death Breath's son, was dancing with a girl. Percy Jackson, the brat of Olympus, was dancing with Princess Genius's kid.

Ares groaned. This was the worst collaborative activity ever.

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><p><strong>I know, I know. The last part was boring. But I'm about to read Perks of Being a Wallflower later, and I gave this as an idea of what I think it is about. How a wallflower views other people. Am I right? I'm sorry if I got it wrong enough to offend people. Also, I wanted to give you guys a heads-up on what's going on in the dance. Next up...the FINAL CHAPTER, which I'm guessing will be longer than most of the chapters in this story. Review, please.<strong>


	17. The Dance (Finale)

**Here's what you've been waiting for, folks—the last chapter! Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: IF I WERE RICK RIORDAN, I'D BE WORKING ON THE HOUSE OF HADES, NOT WRITING FANFICS HERE!**

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><p>"No way," Diana said, crossing her arms.<p>

Felicity, the youngest recruited Hunter, stepped forward. "Way," she confirmed.

"Do you expect me to believe that...that you're all magical immortal girls?" Diana said incredoulously. "You're freaking kidding me. You might as well have said that you were Smurfs."

"It is true," Anna said. "I mean, it is true that we are immortal, not that we are Smurfs. I'm eighty-five years in age. Yet I remain in a body of a fourteen-year-old."

"And I," Artemis spoke, "am the Greek goddess of the Hunt. I am Lady Artemis."

"Yeah, right." Diana was beginning to look snarky. "You're crazy, _Luna._"

Phoebe stared her down. "Guard your tongue, mortal," she said coolly. "You are talking to an Olympian. Our precious goddess, at that."

"Do you not believe me?" Artemis questioned.

Diana scoffed. "Thought I made that clear."

Artemis turned to her Hunters. "How come none of you gave me a hard time when I recruited you?"

"Um, maybe it will help if you're not dressed in that...say, _provocative _garment," Irving volunteered. "You're not exactly a good example of maidenhood, m'lady."

Artemis groaned. "Aphrodite..." she cursed. Then she noticed Demeter clutching Hermes and Hades roughly and heading toward the gardens. "Demeter!" she called. "Hermes! Hades! Am I not the maiden goddess of the Hunt?"

"Stop bragging," Hermes yelled back at her. "It's not like I wanted that occupation!"

The huntresses looked at Hermes and at each other strangely. Demeter shouted at them, "You girls may be immortal, but that doesn't mean you're healthy!" and tossed a few cereal bars at them before dragging her hostages off to the garden.

"See?" Artemis said to Diana, after brushing aside some crushed granola from her own skirt.

Diana frowned. "That's so lame. So you paid a couple of losers to say that you're some goddess. Big deal."

Artemis sighed heavily and turned to Phoebe. "Get Lieutenant Thalia," she said. "Perhaps she'll know how to deal with this."

* * *

><p>"Why?" Demeter said, menacingly making the vines behind the two gods grow and wrap themselves on some godly necks.<p>

Hermes winced and thought grimly of the rash he will get if Demeter puts enchanted poison ivy in his underpants.

"Look, Demeter," Hades said. "It's not like we forced our sons on your daughters. Your child Lily was the one who invited Nico to the dance. And Katie Gardner..." Hades frowned and turned to his nephew. "What exactly happened?"

"He...well, um, he played a prank on her," Hermes mumbled sheepishly.

Demeter frowned. "And how is that a decent courtship? She probably felt so sorry for his patheticalness—"

"Is that a word?" Hades muttered.

"Obviously," Demeter said, clipping her voice. Then she continued where she left off. "—that, out of the goodness of her heart, she settled with him, knowing no one else will!"

"Now wait a minute!" Hermes cried angrily. "My son does not have patheticality!"

"Now _that_ is not a word," Hades said.

"And you," Demeter said, turning to Hades, "is it not enough that you kidnapped my beloved daughter Persephone? Do you want poor Lilian to share her older sister's fate?"

Hades looked back at her. "Can you honestly say that it is a bad fate? I am the King. I made your daughter Queen of several things. Do you find that in any way shameful?"

Demeter sighed loudly. "No. But you took her from me, her mother when she was just a child—"

"Aunt Demeter, she was almost a hundred years old when Hades kidnapped her," Hermes said.

"Exactly!" Demeter cried. "A mere child, not old enough to go along without her mother."

They stood in a stony silence for a minute before Hermes brightened up. "I got it!" he exclaimed. He grabbed a garden hose from behind one of the rose bushes. "This!" he cried, his curly hair flying maniacally. "This will solve our problems!"

They stared at him blankly. Hermes sighed and twisted around the faucet. Then he pressed a finger on the tip of the hose and he took a small flashlight from his pocket. He shined a dim yellow light on it.

"O Iris," Hermes said, "Er, I don't have a drachma with me, but I am Lord Hermes, so permit me to speak to Lady Persephone, in the Underworld."

The water shimmered, and Persephone's lovely face appeared. She looked irritated, though.

"Hermes," she said, bowing her head slightly. Then she saw her mother and her husband and brightened. "Hades! Please come home," she begged. "These ghosts are starting to get in my nerves. The ghost of Albert Einstein actually dared to request a swimming pool in his house in Elysium!"

Hermes quickly turned the prism from Demeter's disapproving face. "Persephone," he said. "Do you love Hades?"

Persephone looked surprised. "Of course. Though he did not really court me, which I would have wanted but—" a ghostly hand suddenly appeared on Persephone's shoulder and she screamed.

"No!" she hollered. "You still need to complete one more life before you go to Isles of the Blest. You hear me? ONE MORE LIFE!"

Hades winced and put his face on view. "Persephone, dear, don't worry. I will come home soon," he said firmly, ignoring Hermes's raised eyebrows.

"Really?" Persephone said. "Thank you, Lord Hades. And if you do not mind, there are some souls I would like to send to eternal damnation over here..."

Hermes smiled and waved his hand over the connection. "You see?" he told Demeter. "Your daughter loves Hades."

Demeter looked unconvinced. "Let me talk to your demigod son Travis," she commanded.

Hermes looked uncertain, but he shined his flashlight on the hose again. "O Iris, it's me again, Lord Hermes. I need to talk to my son Travis, in Half-Blood Hill, Camp Half-Blood."

The water shimmered, and a very messy Hermes cabin came into view. Loud, pulsating music nearly made the gods duck. Nearby, a loud, familiar voice was screaming/singing, "Can't live! If living is without yoooouu! CAN'T LIVE, CAN'T LIVE ANYMORE!"

Hermes grinned sheepishly and called, "Travis?"

"Dad?" Travis said, jumping into view. He had some yellow stain on his face—_mustard,_ Hermes hoped—and was wearing a ratty old t-shirt with a pony on it.

Hermes blinked. "Is that a My Little Pony shirt...son?"

Travis just grinned. "Hey, Dad! Great news! Chiron allowed us to get a kareoke machine." Then he noticed two other gods gawking at him, and he bowed respectfully. "Lord Demeter. Lady Hades." He smiled dumbly, not realizing his mistake.

Hermes facepalmed. Trying to salvage the situation, he said, "So, uh, how's your girlfriend Katie?"

Travis smirked, and for the first time, they saw Katie Gardner singing, "I'm walking on SUNSHINE! WHOA-OH!" Katie noticed them there and yelled, "Hey, Mom! Hey, other gods!"

Hermes hurriedly slashed his hand across the water. He faced two gods staring at him in disbelief.

"That's been great," he said brightly. "Now let's talk to Nico di Angelo!"

* * *

><p>Zeus couldn't take it anymore. After cramming the rest of his pepperoni pizza in his mouth (he loved pizza ever since it was invented in Rome a long time ago), he stood up.<p>

His date looked up at him. "Where are you going, Victor?" she asked.

"I will just talk to my...best friend...Lucille," he said vaguely. Then he felt shame wash over him. Honestly, why couldn't he just tell his date that Hera was his wife, or in this case, his girlfriend?

Because his date will get mad, that's why. Zeus cursed himself, something that he barely does. He felt bad now, leading some mortal on like this. He took a deep breath. "Actually," he said, "Lucille is my girlfriend. I'm sorry."

Then he hurried away to the dance floor. Hera was still dancing with that guy. Zeus took a deep breath and stood in front of them. "Mind if I cut in?" he asked, staring at the guy his wife was dancing with.

The guy looked somewhat relieved. "Sure," he said. He shuffled away.

Like some cheesy romantic comedy movie, the song suddenly changed from a fast rock song to a slow, melodious one.

For a moment, they just stood there awkwardly. Then Hera shrugged and wrapped her arms around her husband. "What's wrong, Zeus?" she asked in his ear.

Zeus paused. He actually felt good like this. His wife had a scent that smelled good and familiar, like home. _When was the last time I danced with her like this? _he wondered. Tried as he might, he couldn't remember. In the Olympus balls, they usually danced formally, as was expected of the King and Queen of the Gods.

"Nothing," he said, hugging her tightly. "I just wanted to dance with you, honey."

Hera looked surprised and began to open her mouth. Then she closed it and hugged him, too. "I suppose I feel the same."

* * *

><p>Apollo was about to call it quits on this entire thing. High school girls were just plain ridiculous. Maybe they were too immature for him. Then again, he was over a thousand years old. What mortal woman wasn't?<p>

Just then, he heard someone sniffling. He stopped walking abruptly and saw a girl sitting in the bleachers alone. She was crying pretty loudly in a pink handkerchief. Soon enough the hanky was too moist that she blew her nose on her puffy sleeve. Loudly.

Apollo froze. Normally, that was a major turn-off for him. But he guessed that he was desperate enough to approach the girl. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

The girl looked up in suprise. A trail of snot was dragging down her left nostril. Her eyes were bloodshot and teary, with mascara running down her cheeks.

She smiled at him weakly. Apollo smiled back at her, equally weakly. He was mildly disturbed with all the snot. He reached into his tux pocket for a tissue. "Here," he said, handing it to her.

"Thanks," the girl replied, accepting the tissue with a trembling hand.

Apollo sighed and leaned back on the bleachers. "So, what's up?" he asked at last.

The girl looked up at him. "Hell," she answered. "That's what's up."

"Actually, I heard it's what's down," Apollo said wryly.

The girl stared at him in confusion, then she laughed. "Oh, I get it."

"Did some guy make you cry?" Apollo asked. "Want me to mess him up for you?"

The girl shook her head. "No, it's my own fault. He has a girlfriend," she said sadly. "I guess...I guess I liked him too much to care."

"Ah," the god said wisely. "Well...are you a broom?"

"Why? Because I'm too skinny and lame?" the girl asked bitterly.

"No," Apollo replied. "Because you sweep me off my feet."

The girl stared at him and slowly smiled. "You want to dance?"

"Sure. I'm, uh..." Apollo tried once again to remember his human name. Dang, he still couldn't remember. Oh, Hades with it. "Apollo," he said instead.

He expected her too look weirded out, but she smiled. "Cool name," she remarked. "I'm Mimi."

* * *

><p>Annabeth smiled when she saw Mimi dancing with some dude. "Hey, Percy, look," she said.<p>

Percy turned and saw Mimi. He stopped dancing and grinned hugely. Very hugely. "I'm happy for her," he defended himself when he saw Annabeth's arched eyebrow.

"Happy for _her, _or happy for _you, _Seaweed Brain?"

Percy gave her a make-you-melt, sarcastic grin. "Both," he said, and kissed his girlfriend full on the lips.

"Hey!" Thalia said, as she and Neil danced alongside them. "You guys have got to stop all the lovey-dovey stuff. You might get in trouble on account of causing your classmates to puke."

"Very funny, Thalia..." Percy trailed off when she saw who their friend was dancing with. Annabeth covered her mouth with her hands. Then they looked at each other in shock.

"Guys," Thalia hissed. They didn't stop staring. Neil looked at Thalia in concern. "What's with them?" he whispered.

"Forget them," Thalia said, dancing Neil away. She informed him, "They probably kissed too much."

Neil slowly grinned. "Nah, I think they were just shocked at how someone can be as good-looking as _this_," he said, pointing at his face.

"No way, loser," Thalia said. "My friends may be nuts, but not _that _nuts."

"Hey, Thalia!" Nico called. He was dancing with Lily Flowers. Actually, Lily was the one dancing, and he was just walking to the music.

Just then, Thalia felt a tug on her sleeve. She turned around and saw the cold eyes of a Hunter.

"Hi, Phoebe," she said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Lady Artemis needs you, Thalia," she whispered flatly. Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed Thalia's arm and dragged her away.

"Thalia? What's wrong?" Neil called.

"Stay out of this, male!" Phoebe yelled furiously behind her shoulder.

"Don't you dare turn him into a deer, Phoebe," Thalia snapped under her breath. Phoebe did not reply, though she muttered about spiders and cockroaches.

Neil just stood there. Then he shook his head and walked to the food table. He could use some punch anyway.

Across the hall, Annabeth saw them. "Hey, isn't that Phoebe?"

"Who?" Percy asked.

"Phoebe. You know, the Hunter girl?" Annabeth looked at them. "I think Thalia's in trouble."

Percy frowned in concern. "Maybe she needs some moral support."

"Just what I was thinking." Grasping her boyfriend's hand, Annabeth ran to her best friend's aid.

Nearby, Nico was having fun with Lily when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

There stood Hades, with Hermes and Demeter behind him.

"Hey—Adam?" Nico asked. "What's wrong?"

"You better come with us," Hades said, looking jittery.

Demeter gave her daughter a tender look. "Is Gunther a good father to you?" she asked.

Lily's face puckered in confusion. "Yeah, Dad's great...who the heck are you?"

"_I_," Demeter said solemnly, "am your mother."

Needless to say, it was a chaotic dance floor.

* * *

><p>"What is going on, Phoebe?" Thalia grumbled. "What does Lady Artemis want?"<p>

"What were you doing there, dancing with a male?" Phoebe demanded. Her grip on Thalia's arm was beginning to hurt. "You better not be breaking the oath."

Thalia rolled her eyes. "He is not my boyfriend, Phoebs."

"Stop calling me that!" Phoebe shrieked. "I hate nicknames."

"Thals?" Percy called. He and Annabeth stepped into view. "You okay?"

"Is it not enough that this Jackson boy is your friend?" Phoebe snapped. "Why do you have that other boy, too?"

Thalia pressed her free hand on her temple. "You're giving me a headache, Phoebe. Let's just go to Artemis."

Annabeth and Percy followed the two girls into the garden, where Artemis, the Hunters, and Diana were.

"Hello, Thalia," Artemis said in greeting.

Thalia was getting more and more confused. "Luna Silver, right? Why are you here?"

Diana shook her head. "I knew it! You _are _just messing with me, Silver."

"No!" Artemis cried. She forgot about this stupid charade of her father's. "Thalia, it's me, Artemis."

"Artemis..." Thalia stopped to think. Then she gasped. The weird thing that has been tugging her mind suddenly became clear. "So that means that those were the Olympians that you were with!"

Artemis sighed. "Yes, that is true. It was our father's plan."

"Oh, my gods," Percy said, turning to Annabeth. He looked pale. "Your mother's been seeing us act like a couple!" He was still a bit scared of his girlfriend's mom.

"Wait a minute," Annabeth said. The events of the past week began replaying in her mind, then clicked into one conclusion. "Our parents were trying to break us up!"

"WHAT?" Percy exclaimed.

"WHAT?" Poseidon and Athena yelled behind them. They had followed their kids outside.

"It is true, isn't it, _Mother_?" Annabeth growled, ignoring how weird it felt to be calling someone her age mom. "My instincts are never wrong. That's one thing I got from you!"

Athena bowed her head. "We stopped, my daughter," she said. "We decided that it was wrong."

Poseidon dared a glance at Percy, who was looking at him in disbelief. "Hey, son," he said in his most casual voice.

"Hey, Dad," Percy squeaked.

Annabeth looked at her mother with a bit of hope. "So you approve of him now, then," she said. "I mean, I would think that it was enough accomplishment to have saved Olympus, Mom, but now, I hope you are convinced."

Athena smiled slightly and turned to Percy. "I approve of you, dear boy," she said. "You are very clever, and the important thing is that my daughter is happy with you. I suppose your lack of intelligence is not your fault...it's your father's."

"Mother!" Annabeth cried.

Poseidon shook his head, grinning. "Don't worry about it, Annabeth," he said. "One gets used to your mother's relentless complaints."

Athena smirked at him. "And one gets used to your father's endearing idiocy, Percy."

Annabeth and Percy looked at each other in horror. Now _this _was weird.

"Percy...let's get back inside," Annabeth said in an embarrassed voice.

"Not just yet," a deep voice said.

Zeus and Hera were there, with some of the gods in tow.

Thalia looked at the teenaged boy's dark hair and electric blue eyes. "Hey, Daddy," she said to Zeus. "Heard you were spying on us."

Zeus smiled at his daughter. "Somewhat," he admitted. "Though I mostly wanted to teach my fellow gods a lesson."

"Which you did," Hermes put in, appearing with Hades, Demeter, and the two pale demigods.

"I cannot believe this," Nico muttered. "The entire godly family has been here."

"You think _you _have a problem?" Lily cried. She was in shock. "Apparently, Greek gods exist and are roaming free in New York City, along with some monsters. And apparently, I am a daughter of a sixteen-year-old farming goddess." She sank on the pavement and placed her face in her hands. "This is so messed up."

"I am not really sixteen years old, darling," Demeter offered. "This is not my true form."

Nico sat down next to Lily and slipped his hand in hers, a very bold move for him. "Don't worry, I've been through this," he said. "Mine was even worse, because my sister turned into a Hunter and...and died."

The huntresses and Hades looked down. The memory of Bianca was still very fresh, like a new and painful wound.

"I'm sorry, Nico," Lily said softly. She had no idea what in the world a Hunter was, but Nico's experience sounded horrible.

"Yeah, so I've been through this," Nico repeated. "And I wouldn't let the same thing happen to you. I care about you, Lily." His face was flaming, and a bunch of people and gods were around, but he didn't care anymore. All he cared about was Lily.

"Thank you," Lily said, squeezing his hand.

Demeter caught the eyes of Hades and smiled. She liked this spawn of Hades. That son of Hermes, though...Demeter wasn't very sure, but she's willing to give it a try. Hades smiled back, relieved.

"And to celebrate this," Zeus said, "I am allowing all the gods to transform into their old selves, also without Aphrodite's clothes."

"Aw, come on," Aphrodite whined. "I worked hard for that!"

Zeus took out a silver cell phone, which immediately transformed into his trusty lightning bolt. He raised it.

A loud rumble of thunder was heard by everyone, then the Olympians switched back to their old forms.

"Finally," Artemis cried, looking at her non-curvy, pre-teen body.

Diana stared at her in astonishment. "So you weren't kidding," she managed.

"Definitely not," the goddess said. "So, do you want to be a Hunter?"

Diana thought for a moment, then smiled. "I'll hear about the details first, but I'm pretty sure I'll join."

A few feet away, Phoebe had cornered Thalia by the rosebushes.

"You were with that male," Phoebe said flatly.

Thalia winced. "I was hoping you forgot about that."

Phoebe sighed loudly and crossed her arms. "Look," she said. "I know you have this authority over me, considering you are the lieutenant, but I cannot help feeling that you should be setting a better example to the new Hunters."

"Lady Artemis allowed me to be friends with Death Breath and Seaweed Br—er, Nico and Percy," Thalia pointed out.

"They are your cousins," Phoebe retorted. "And yes, you are not really related completely because of the no-DNA whatsoever, but that counts. For you, at least."

"Exactly," Thalia said. "I think of Neil, that _male_, the same way. As a cousin, or maybe a little brother. I _am _in my twenties, in case you have forgotten," Thalia reminded her.

Phoebe scrutinized Thalia with unnerving blue eyes. Then she smiled. "I understand you," Phoebe said. "I was also very close to my brother Hugo, until he died in the 30s."

Thalia smiled back, sadly. Then they returned to the group of gods, demigods, and huntresses.

"Let us return to Mount Olympus for a party," Zeus suggested. He was met with blank stares.

"What?" he said defensively. "This high school thing brought back the two-thousand-six-hundred-year-old teen in me."

Everyone cheered.

"Wait, where's Apollo?" Hermes asked.

"Here I am," Apollo said, appearing from behind some bushes. He looked grim-faced.

"What's wrong?" Hestia asked.

"I was dancing with this really cute girl named Mimi"—Cue terrified look from Percy—"then I stopped dancing to get some punch. Suddenly, I turned into my godly form again, and girls started swarming over me."

"_Swarming me_," Athena corrected. "No 'over'."

"Whatever," Apollo said. "Anyway, Mimi thought I abandoned her, so she started crying again and ran out. So I pushed past a bunch of girls—a bunch of really _cute_ girls, mind you—and chased after her."

"What happened?" everyone, even Percy, asked in unison.

"She was kissing some other guy," Apollo said disgustedly.

At that, Percy raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

Apollo nodded, still looking disgusted. "Girls are such two-timers."

The Hunters began coughing loudly, while Artemis smirked. "Says the guy who dated a movie star and a model at the same time," Artemis said, rolling her eyes.

Apollo sighed. "Oh, well. I'm a god. I couldn't get into a serious relationship anyway."

"Party at Olympus," Ares interrupted, changing the subject. He couldn't wait to get out of this high school drama junk.

Apollo smiled hugely, his bad mood forgotten. "Yay. I love parties. What's the theme?"

Zeus looked at his son straight in the eye. "The theme is 'High School Dance.'"

Before anyone can protest, the god of the skies teleported everyone to Olympus.

~The End~

* * *

><p><strong>Wheww. :D That was really exhausting to write. But fun, too. Did you like the ending? REVIEW, please. Thanks for your continuous support, guys. Love you all! :DDDD<strong>


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